Building Citizenship from Universities; University Social Responsibility and Challenges in the XXI century

The present essay contributes with a reflection on the role universities must take as agents of transformation and consolidation of the democratic model, mainly before the challenge of building full citizens, interested in the need of the physical and social environment, in collective decision making, who think of themselves as participant citizens and not only voters with their own interests in view. Distinguishable is the primordial role of university social responsibility to promote the social management of knowledge for everyone, which has as an end the construction of informed, responsible and participant citizenship, which responds to injustice, non-sustainability, violence and corruption. Rethinking the social function of the university requires defending the values proper to public education, in the sense that every citizen has equal opportunities to develop their capabilities, eliminating obstacles of social and economic nature, as well as the cultural and political that affect and hinder said development.