Social Relevance
The University, while neutral on most aspects of Costa Rican life, defines itself as a secular and humanist institution. The university encourages social work and research activities and in order to graduate most students must work in the Trabajo Comunal Universitario (University Community Service), which is organized by the University. The University maintains a prestigious position in Costa Rican society and is the most often cited governmental institution in Costa Rican media. Opinions generated in scientific, ethical and economic matters strongly influence Costa Rican policies and public sentiment. UCR counts Costa Rica's Nobel Laureate Oscar Arias, many ministers, and many heads of the country's public institutions as alumni.
The UCR is also part of the Consejo Nacional de Rectores (National Council of University Chairpersons), a watchdog body that overviews higher education quality.
Read more about this topic: University Of Costa Rica
Famous quotes containing the words social and/or relevance:
“Utopias are presented for our inspection as a critique of the human state. If they are to be treated as anything but trivial exercises of the imagination. I suggest there is a simple test we can apply.... We must forget the whole paraphernalia of social description, demonstration, expostulation, approbation, condemnation. We have to say to ourselves, “How would I myself live in this proposed society? How long would it be before I went stark staring mad?””
—William Golding (b. 1911)
“Wherever the relevance of speech is at stake, matters become political by definition, for speech is what makes man a political being.”
—Hannah Arendt (1906–1975)