Las 2 universidades públicas de Canarias aportan 1.600 millones de euros anuales al PIB de la región

The Rector of the University of La Laguna, Francisco García, opened the 13th edition of the Ethnography and Folklore Campus in Ingenio on July 13th with a speech in which he highlighted, among other things, the significant contribution of the two Canary Islands public universities to the Canary Islands' GDP: 1.6 billion euros annually. "These two universities are the third largest contributors to the regional GDP in the country, at 2.5 percent, surpassed only by the Catalan and Andalusian university systems," he said. García, who in his lecture in the Ingenio plenary hall addressed the role of the institution he leads in shaping modern-day Canary Islands, was accompanied at the inauguration of the aforementioned campus, part of the program for the 31st edition of the Ingenio International Folklore Festival, "A Solidarity Showcase of the Peoples," by the mayor of the municipality, Vanesa Martín; the Cabildo's Councilor for Economic Development, Industry, Commerce, and Crafts, Minerva Alonso; the rector of the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Lluís Serra; the director of the aforementioned festival and president of the Ingenio Choirs and Dances Association, David Castellano; and Professor Yeray Rodríguez, coordinator of the campus promoted by the ULPGC. David Castellano noted that the Ethnography and Folklore Campus, which concludes on July 17, has become “a space for reflection based on the knowledge generated within the university setting, allowing us to create, share, and disseminate aspects of the Canary Islands' cultural identity. We must foster understanding among people through tradition to strengthen our identity,” Castellano said. The campus coordinator, Yeray Rodríguez, referred to this initiative as a well-established project after thirteen editions, highlighting the pool of emerging researchers from both Canary Island universities who present their heritage-related work in the program each year. Minerva Alonso thanked the Ingenio Choirs and Dances Group for having “preserved and defended our idiosyncrasies and popular culture for over 75 years. We must understand the culture of other regions to build a more supportive and respectful society that embraces the world's diverse heritage,” Alonso added. The rector of the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (ULPGC), Lluís Serra, praised folklore as an intrinsic element of the pulse of communities and their diverse ways of understanding the world. “The ULPGC projects the cultural practices it generates within its walls onto the society it serves,” he emphasized. The mayor of Ingenio, Vanesa Martín, highlighted the “great evolution and growth in content that the campus has experienced, which has the added value of its commitment to building bridges between popular knowledge and the scholarly reflection of researchers.” Martín invited the rest of the island's residents to let themselves be swept away by the special atmosphere of camaraderie and multiculturalism that the festival generates during these days.