Celaya, Guanajuato (November 11, 2023) - The University of Celaya celebrated the inauguration of the I4.0 AUTOMATION CELL at the Center for Innovation in Engineering on Saturday, November 11, as part of the 35th anniversary of its founding. Carlos Esponda Morales, General Director of the University of Celaya System, Dr. Martha Aguilar Trejo, Rector of the institution, and Mr. Juan Yúdico Herrasti, Councilor of the eastern region of Fundación Empresarial Guanajuato, presided over the ribbon cutting ceremony that marked the beginning of this new stage in the educational field.
The acquisition of the I4.0 AUTOMATION CELL was made possible thanks to a co-investment of 30% from FIDESSEG and 70% from the University of Celaya, which represents a milestone in engineering education in Mexico. Bosch Rexroth's one-of-a-kind XITE Automax 600 equipment incorporates Industry 4.0 technologies, artificial intelligence, big data and the cloud in its automated processes.
Representatives of companies from the industrial sector such as BOSCH LATINOAMERICA, GKN, PRETTL, SKILLTECK, HUTCHINSON, IECA, as well as elementary school educators, academic directors, teachers and students, joined in this event. Also present were leaders of the STEM and PERAJ social programs, as well as student mentors and the children who are the raison d'être of these programs, accompanied by their mothers.
The AUTOMATION CELL I4.0, with the Automax equipment, will not only enrich the education of the students of the University of Celaya, but will also have a positive impact on the education of more than 300 children participating in the project "Integral Development of Celaya's Children", which integrates the institutional programs STEAM and PERAJ, bringing educational innovation to the community.
At this event, the UniElectric Car, an electric vehicle developed by students who participated in the "Towards Electric Mobility" competition, was also on display, highlighting the commitment of the University of Celaya to the integral and avant-garde education of its students.
The I4.0 AUTOMATION CELL not only represents a significant technological advancement for the University of Celaya, but also demonstrates a continued commitment to academic excellence and preparing students for the challenges of the future.
An immersive hybrid system will be implemented in 21 classrooms at Uniamerican International School to guarantee the continuity of academic quality in all its elementary and high school groups, as well as the optimization of learning environments that will be characterized by promoting inquiry, critical thinking through triggering questions and collaborative work in the context of a safe, staggered and semi-presential return next August.
Only eight schools, distributed in four states of the country, including Guanajuato, have immersive systems (UNOi, May 2021) that operate with a state-of-the-art technological infrastructure made up of computers, iPads, projectors, 4K cameras with 120-degree coverage and artificial intelligence mechanisms for facial recognition that allow them to take tracking shots, delimitation and close-ups in detailed areas, as well as panoramic shots with remote control. Likewise, the cameras frame based on human voice recognition, suppressing environmental noise to achieve greater fidelity in the transmitter's audio.
Another key pillar of immersive hybrid classrooms is the teaching team that is being trained to successfully plan and implement classes that awaken students' interest and curiosity, while generating learning and developing skills supported by academic content designed for this purpose.
Rosalba Vega, in her 4th semester of high school, currently takes biology and math classes in an immersive hybrid classroom and, from her experience, the advantages are a higher level of attention and concentration during class that has allowed her to improve her academic performance, a better group dynamic and the confidence of feeling safe in a de-densified classroom.
Thanks to this integral model of educational evolution, more meaningful learning experiences will be generated for students and teachers because, with the integration of the technological and academic components within the classroom, a more natural simultaneous interaction between students who will attend classes in person and those who will participate remotely will be possible.
The immersive hybrid classrooms, equipped with state-of-the-art technology and artificial intelligence, are already implemented in 33 classrooms at the University of Celaya to guarantee a safe return to classes next August, ensuring the continuity of academic quality.
These classrooms are already being used by teachers and students at all levels, such is the case of the Master's Degree in Administration, where there have been very good comments about how well the technology and the 4K camera system works, which, thanks to artificial intelligence mechanisms, have facial recognition that follows the teacher around the room and recognizes the human voice, eliminating environmental noise to achieve greater fidelity in the audio, giving fluency to class participation.
In high school, in biology and mathematics, Rosalba Vega, a 4th semester student, says that the hybrid classrooms allow her to pay more attention and concentrate during class, improving her academic performance and a better group dynamic, as well as the confidence of feeling safer in a classroom with fewer students.
Thanks to this integral model of educational evolution, more meaningful learning experiences will be generated for students and teachers, since the integration of technological-academic components within the classroom will allow interaction between students who will attend classrooms in person and those who will participate remotely, stimulating collaborative work, discussions in real time, critical thinking, to mention a few skills.
The project "Strengthening the Digital Educational Model of FIMPES Universities" has brought together eleven of the most prestigious universities in Mexico, including the University of Celaya, to design an educational model according to mega trends, promoting continuous improvement, relevance and access to higher education based on best practices, technology and global trends with the support of a group of international experts.
The participation in this innovative model project joins 10 other universities in the country and has strategic allies such as EmTech Institute and Santander Universities.
In the first phase, the project contemplates the creation of five digital/hybrid courses with best practices worldwide, more than 60 professors and specialists involved in the creation of academic content and the possibility that more than 100 universities use the courses in digital platform, making the necessary adaptations based on the reality of higher education and the market in Mexico.
The digital/hybrid courses will address Digital Skills, Critical Thinking, Mathematics, Study Habits and Oral and Written Communication.
The University of Celaya joins advanced initiatives and reinvents itself to continue offering the academic quality of its programs and fulfilling its commitment to society.
In order to maintain the highest standards of academic quality and ensure the safety of teachers, students and their families, the University of Celaya has made a significant investment in technological infrastructure to convert its classrooms into Hybrid Immersive Classrooms where a system of 4K smart cameras, high fidelity microphones and interactive screens within a technological platform with teaching materials and first class technical support will allow students to participate in person or virtually with the same interaction between peers and teachers as if they were in a normal classroom.
This model will be implemented at all educational levels from Uniamerican International School, Prepa Uni and Universidad de Celaya, continuing 100% with the essence of integral education, learning through projects and challenges, research, and collaborative work with the highest standards.
With the above, students and their parents will be able to choose between the face-to-face and virtual models, preserving their safety at all times and maintaining an organized, structured and efficient learning experience in which students feel included, listened to, accompanied and, above all, motivated by interacting in a more natural way.
With this, the Institution reinforces its regional leadership through a global vision and innovative solutions to current challenges.
The University of Celaya participates in the Plan promoted by the Department of Economic Development of the General Secretariat of the Organization of American States and Kolau for the economic reactivation.
On April 21, 2020, Dr. Cuauhtémoc González, from the Virtual University of the University of Celaya, participated, together with academics from the Rafael Landívar University of Guatemala and from the group of universities of Hispanoamerica, Foundation for Strategic Analysis and Development of Small and Medium Enterprises (FAEDPYME), in an event attended by political authorities with the objective of finding solutions to mitigate among MSMEs the negative economic effects of the pandemic caused by COVID-19.
This event was part of the plan promoted by the OAS in which Kolau, a Silicon Valley company, is leading the technological and operational part.
The launch of the plan in Mexico took place on March 30, 2020 and was widely covered by the media. Since the launch, more than 50 secretaries of economic development in the country have joined, both at state and municipal level, as well as more than 10 universities in the republic. At the continental level, more than 1,200 entities have joined to date, 50 of which are universities and higher education institutions.
Through simple-to-use technology and advanced functions, the company can create its website completely free of charge and very simple. This plan is open to all businesses in Mexico, regardless of their current regularization or formalization status, as well as to companies from all sectors and industries.
The municipal government of Celaya joined The event took place on June 11, 2020, in what has become the largest public-private alliance in the Americas to promote e-commerce and the digitalization of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises.
Through the alliance of the Universidad de Celaya with the MiPyme Digitalization Plan, benefits will be extended to the programs carried out by the University in favor of entrepreneurship and digitalization. Likewise, the University will participate in digital training sessions organized within the framework of the plan, leading the academic part.
The SME SME digitalization sessions are the accompaniment of technology, since they provide the audience with practical knowledge with which to strengthen their presence on the Internet. Among the digital training sessions or courses are those focused on visibility in Internet search engines through specialization to adapt to the way consumers search for the product, those that deal with the conversion of visitors into customers and finally those that deal with customer retention in order to multiply the benefit and value they bring to the company.
The participation of the student community of the University of Celaya, as well as companies, is completely free of charge, and no previous digital knowledge is required to take advantage of the plan.
