UDA launches digital tool that allows safeguarding knowledge
On October 15, in the general auditorium of the University of Azuay, the presentation of the web platform DYAC (Documentation and Scientific Archive) was held, which has as its main objective to document primary data from linguistic, anthropological, historical, and social science research and humanities, and other sciences and scientific, academic and professional areas.
The event began with the intervention of Martha Cobos, Academic Vice Chancellor of the UDA, who commented that the platform arose with the ideal of creating a space where all field investigations can be uploaded, so that people can take advantage of the information, which is hand in hand with the educational model of the University and the principle that we are a learning community.
"Investigations are never done alone, the best results have always been achieved when working in a group," continued the Vice Chancellor. This is evidenced by the platform that has been created by people from the Language, Systems Engineering and Marketing area of the UDA.
Priscila Verdugo, teacher and director of the research project, was the next to speak. She began by stating that the project began in 2016, thanks to Lucía Golluscio, a professor at the University of Buenos Aires (UBA), who invited her to participate in an initiative of national and foreign researchers that consisted of documenting, archiving and safeguarding research.
Subsequently, the draft of the Agreement for Technological Cooperation was prepared, between the National Council for Scientific and Technical Research (CONICET) Argentina and the Research Institute of the Peruvian Amazon, the University of Chile, the National University of Formosa, the Center for Studies Anthropological of the Catholic University, the National University of San Juan, the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru and the University of Azuay.
“The agreement document had to go through each university for the official signature. In that trajectory the pandemic arose and with this the firms were left on hold. The agreement entered into force in December 2020 and the official document arrived in Ecuador in February 2021. At this point, the UDA decided to design, develop and implement a website that would be framed within the objectives of the agreement and took into account the needs of the university and the region, ”said Verdugo.
Next. Lucía Golluscio explained that this initiative is relevant for the preservation of the intangible heritage of Ecuador and humanity, since it allows the digital backup of, for example, indigenous languages and traditions of South America, which are currently undergoing major processes of retraction.
Alejandra Vidal, a professor at the National University of Formosa (UNaF), intervened here, who reported that currently - in order to institutionalize the DYAC network - a project has been developed that proposes the exchange of information, technical advice and training among the participants, with the aim of creating repositories and databases to contribute three things:
1. Resolution of local and regional problems.
2 Training of human resources.
3. Development of an area for online documentary archives of indigenous languages of South America.
The presentation continued with the explanation of Catalina Astudillo, professor at the UDA and in charge of the development of the platform, on how to use the website, which can be accessed through the link https://dyac.uazuay.edu.ec/ .
Finally, Priscila Verdugo concluded with the presentation of one of the platform's collections, called: “Verbal interactions: Quichua Spanish in the Shiña community”.
UDA Correspondent
