Abstract
This chapter explores how university engagement—or extension universitaria—is shaped within the context of Panama. A brief introduction to the Panamanian higher education system is provided, as well how the legal framework that regulates higher education in Panama impacts the conceptualization and standards against which university engagement is measured. The resulting conceptualization is then compared against existing international benchmarks. It also analyzes how Panamanian universities orient their engagement, through a study that is qualitative in nature and uses content coding to extract meaning from the mission and vision statements of 22 universities. The results reveal that most universities frame their university engagement around four areas: (1) Training and education of students to become a professional human resource, (2) the contribution of these students to the sustainable development of the country or region, (3) the practice of values related to engagement, such as equity, solidarity, tolerance, and social commitment, and (4) an outward projection toward society that generates recognition.
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León, M. (2021). Exploring University Engagement Through an International Lens: The Case of Extensión Universitaria in Panama. In: Papadimitriou, A., Boboc, M. (eds) Re-envisioning Higher Education’s Public Mission. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-55716-4_8
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