The Technological University of Pereira strengthens its presence at the Book Fair: memory, identity and culture
Alberto Antonio Berón Ospina*
Pereira, 2025 – The Pereira Book Fair It reopened its doors this year with a thought-provoking motto: “Memory, guardian of culture.” Faced with this challenge, the Technological University of Pereira (UTP) He remains a constant actor, participating in a unified manner for four years in this space that combines literature, knowledge and critical thinking.
At the “Quinchía Hall” of Expofuturo, UTP will present new publications, showcasing the work of its professors, researchers, deans, and administrators. The institution's participation not only reflects its academic identity but also its commitment to cultural heritage, in line with the motto inscribed on its coat of arms: “Science and Technology for Humanity, under the tutelage of Liberty.”
Since 2022, the University has promoted the participation of various entities linked to both physical and digital books, consolidating the fair as a pluralistic meeting place and forum for intellectual exchange. Each edition has featured prominent figures in Latin American thought, such as the humanist Ricardo Forster (2022), the sociologist Alberto Valencia (2023), and the essayist Ricardo Sánchez Ángel (2024). This year, the special guest is the Caribbean sociologist Edgar Rey Sinning, who will address popular Caribbean carnivals as a historical form of memory, connecting his reflections with the work of thinkers such as Orlando Fals Borda and Juan Marchena.
The space dedicated to the guest intellectual has become a symbol of recognition for those who contribute to the construction of cultural identity, critical thinking, and creativity. In a context marked by immediacy and information overload, academic and literary production constitutes a space of resistance against frivolity and mass culture. From this perspective, memory is not limited to the past, but rather allows us to build the present and future through critical review and openness to diverse voices and experiences.
The participation of UTP in the Pereira Book Fair demonstrates how the university, beyond teaching and research, is committed to the circulation of knowledge as an instrument of social and cultural transformation.
Book Fair Program Final 2-1-1* Professor-Coordinator CLACSO-UTP. Academic leader of UTP's participation in the 2025 Book Fair. CLACSO Working Group on Collective Memories and Practices of Resistance
