The National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) began today the 2021-2022 school cycle in the distance education modality due to the covid-19 pandemicTherefore, more than 360 thousand students and more than 30 thousand teachers will return to activities.
The UNAM reported in a statement that from the beginning of the confinement (almost a year and a half ago) to date, it has significantly strengthened its distance education infrastructure, as well as the support with computer equipment and connectivity to students and teachers.
During this period, more than 7,000 internet connection antennas were installed, in addition to benefiting low-income students with the loan of more than 20,000 tablets and 8,000 wireless connection equipment.
“Today the university is better prepared and ready for distance classes to flow properly,” said Alberto Ken Oyama Nakagawa, Secretary of Institutional Development, who explained that the pandemic catalyzed the advance of such support to the university community.
“The rector (Enrique Graue) is aware that we have to make the digital transformation of education in our country and, without a doubt, this model that we have just implemented is very important for our university, for Mexico and for the world” , he stressed.
He said that the actions of the UNAM to support young people who do not have connectivity or lack any computer equipment consists of three strategic projects, of which the largest is the equipment of wifi connectivity in all teaching areas, common areas, libraries, large classrooms, among other spaces.
This is the PC Puma Project, which began –in a first stage– in 2015 to improve connectivity in each campus, a strategy that has been reinforced with the revision of the wiring, the acquisition of antennas for the wireless connection, the purchase of equipment (tablets or computers), which will make it easier for teachers to teach their classes with the best equipment.
“All the Faculties of Higher Studies have been covered and we are with the baccalaureate. We can say that the university is already covered and there are more than 7,280 antennas in place that cover more than 4,000 classrooms and common spaces ”, as well as its different venues, he commented in an interview.
Student Computers
Oyama Nakagawa stated that this project began before the pandemic, in order to respond to the digital transformation of education and it is expected that this year 100 percent connectivity will be achieved in the different university venues, a key service for the eventual return to face-to-face or blended activity.
Additionally, in 2020 the installation of the PC Puma Access Centers, through which students in different areas of Mexico City and the metropolitan area are offered the ease of accessing computer equipment or connectivity. There are currently 18 locations.
Sanitary measures are respected in each center, such as healthy distance and desks are protected with acrylics. “By adding these centers, you have access to 2,000 places and more than 7,500 equipment for loan on the site,” the official said.
Any university student can benefit from these facilities, you only need to enter the site https://pcpuma.unam.mx/centrosdeacceso/ to register the request and reserve the use of the equipment for up to three hours, he stressed.
The PC Puma Access Centers are strategically located in the following places:
- 4 in the Faculties of Higher Studies (Acatlán, Zaragoza, Iztacala, Aragón);
- 5 at the College of Sciences and Humanities (Naucalpan, Vallejo, Azcapotzalco, Sur, Oriente);
- 4 at the National Preparatory School (Campus 1, Xochimilco; Campus 2, Iztacalco; Campus 3, Gustavo A. Madero, and Campus 4, Miguel Hidalgo);
- 1 National School of Nursing and Midwifery;
- 1 Tlatelolco University Cultural Center;
- 1 Exhibition and Congress Center;
- 1 Central Library;
- 1 University Museum of Sciences and Arts (MUCA).
IR
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