The Salesian College of India and Salesian University of Bolivia in the context of the pandemic

Abstract

The pandemic caused by COVID-19 has forced educational institutions to close doors in an attempt to contain the spread of the infection. However, education did not stop, it instead found the opportunity to change face-to-face classes to virtual format and enter to a new paradigm in education. At the same time, this migration from face-to-face to virtual has brought challenges to higher education institutions around the world, among them, the salesian institutions of higher learning. The Salesian mission around the world is to promote and open access to higher education especially for young people with economic and social disadvantages; in this context, the challenges for providing virtual education are greater and require additional efforts to ensure success and continuity in higher education. This study aims to describe the experiences of the Salesian College of India and the Salesian University of Bolivia in the context of the pandemic. Although the Salesian College and USB are geographically located on two different continents, they have both been affected by the pandemic and have faced similar challenges in ensuring the continuity of higher education. At the same time, this situation raises challenges in terms of the management software used in teaching, Internet access and the availability of devices among students.