IPEN Latin America; Director, Institute of Wellbeing and Happiness at Universidad Tecmilenio

Rosalinda Ballesteros-Valdés PhD is the director for the Institute of Wellbeing and Happiness at Universidad Tecmilenio, considered the first Positive University. At Tecmilenio she previously had the position of Vice-president for High School Education, she designed the Positive Education Curriculum for 28 Tecmilenio High Schools (more than 15,000 students). Dr. Ballesteros-Valdés holds a PhD in Humanistic Studies by Tecnológico de Monterrey in México and a Master of Applied Positive Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania. She has 20 years’ experience in education and curriculum design. Dr. Ballesteros-Valdés worked extensively in peace education programs, from Education for Peace International and Peace begins with children in México.

​

>Presentation Topic: Purpose driven university, incorporating an Ecosystem of Wellbeing in a whole system

Universidad Tecmilenio is an example of application of Positive Education with a student population of 60,000, we will review how to incorporate wellbeing in the curriculum, across the curriculum and in student activities. Suggestions based on our benchmark and example will be given during the presentation, learn how to incorporate the principles of wellbeing and character in a school systems approach and the challenges that you might face.

>Panel on Wellbeing and Positive Universities with:

• Facilitated by Héctor Escamilla, VP of Development, Tecnológico de Monterrey, México

• Lindsay Oades, Director of the Center for Positive Psychology, at University of Melbourne, in Australia

• Sir Anthony Seldon, Vice Chancellor of the University of Buckingham in the UK

Great thinkers in the world like Richard Davidson among others have expressed that Well-being is a skill, as any other skills it can be learned, developed and measured.

Martin Seligman has mentioned that flourishing lives can be attained by learning, and developing positivity, engagement, positive relations, meaning and purpose in life and celebrating achievements.

Some Universities had taken a variety of approaches providing well-being practices, a sense of purpose and meaning in life, creating a new category of Universities that some experts have recognized as Well-being Universities and leaders like Martin Seligman proposed as Positive Universities.

In this panel experiences from University of Melbourne, University of Buckingham and Tecmilenio University will share their journey and progress centering their efforts in introducing courses, research and culture around positive education, wellbeing practices and meaning and Purpose in life.

​