Our Branch campus in Quito held a special event to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the journal “Alteridad”. University officials and members of the journal, such as Juan Cardenas, UPS president; Maria Sol Villagomez, vice president of our branch campus in Quito; Jaime Padilla, Chief Editor of Alteridad; Armando Romero, Founder of the journal; and Angel Torres, General Editor of UPS, attended the meeting.

Since its beginnings, Alteridad has strengthened its position as one of the leading specialized education publications in the region, it has a history of uninterrupted biannual publications. Thanks to the commitment of its editorial team and contributors, the journal is now indexed in the most prestigious databases and repositories worldwide.

Father Juan Cardenas stressed the journal's impact on academia and society: "Alteridad transcends its informative function: it is an epistemic bridge between academia and society, a laboratory of ideas that embodies the university’s triple commitment to transformative teaching, impactful research, and its connection to the Sustainable Development Goals, especially Quality Education."

He also explained the university’s mission to generate knowledge: "Inspired by Don Bosco's educational model, we will continue to cultivate science with human nature, where the quantitative method dialogues with qualitative reflection, and theory is translated into emancipatory praxis."
In the event, they acknowledgment the work of those who have been essential in the growth and prestige of Alteridad, including the Editorial Committee, peer reviewers, authors, and doctoral students. There was a special recognition to Father Juan Cárdenas, Jaime Padilla, José Juncosa, Armando Romero, and María Sol Villagómez.

 
Armando Romero recalled the journal's beginnings in 2004, it was a national project at UPS, considered a challenge, under the vision of Fr. Luciano Bellini, former university President. He spoke about some of the fundamental elements that marked this process, including: the creation of terms for publication; collaborative and participatory efforts, as well as trust in the project leaders; the combination of humility and ambition for its development; and the balance between tradition and innovation.

Over these 20 years, Alteridad has been a benchmark in educational research, promoting critical thinking and academic dialogue nationally and internationally. Its commitment to quality and innovation continues, strengthening its role as a fundamental part in the construction of scientific knowledge in the region.