The link between Montevideo and Lugano is strengthened through culture, education, and research. The Catholic University of Uruguay (UCU) and the Compagnia Finzi Pasca have formalized an academic and artistic cooperation agreement aimed at establishing a structured dialogue between the academic world and contemporary creative production.
The agreement, signed on March 17, 2026, by the rector of the Uruguayan university, Father Julio Fernández Techera, and Daniele Finzi Pasca, co-founder of the Ticino-based company, opens a new chapter in cultural relations between Uruguay and Switzerland. The stated goal is to develop a collaborative model capable of integrating academic knowledge, artistic experimentation, and international planning.
Based in Lugano and recognized globally, the Compagnia Finzi Pasca brings a wealth of experience ranging from theater to contemporary circus, including the organization of major international events and ceremonies. The Catholic University of Uruguay, for its part, offers a solid academic tradition and a vision geared toward interdisciplinary innovation.
An international laboratory between university and stage
More than a simple institutional protocol, the agreement is intended as an operational platform designed to foster encounters between students, faculty, researchers, artists, and professionals. The idea is to create a space for discussion where artistic practice can engage with theoretical reflection, generating new modes of learning and cultural production.
Planned activities include training programs and immersive workshops, designed and led jointly by artists and teachers. These will be complemented by interdisciplinary research initiatives, academic exchanges between Uruguay and Switzerland, and the development of shared cultural projects and productions.
The ambition is to transcend traditional disciplinary boundaries, engaging diverse fields such as the performing arts, healthcare, architecture, and communications. These are sectors that increasingly find the most fertile ground for innovation precisely in the intersection of these skills.
Training, research and cultural impact
The agreement stems from the belief that artistic creation can play a central role in educational programs and in building transversal skills. From this perspective, the stage experience becomes a tool capable of enriching university education, offering students learning opportunities that combine theory, practice, and experimentation.
At the same time, the academic context represents an opportunity for the company to deepen its research, exploring new applications and new languages in dialogue with different disciplines.
Particular emphasis will be placed on defining specific operational agreements, which will establish the objectives, resources, methodologies, and timelines for individual projects. This structure will allow initiatives to be tailored to the partners' needs and their impact to be concretely measured.
The role of Facundo Ponce de León
Facilitating this process will also be the presence of Facundo Ponce de León, a figure who represents a natural liaison between the two institutions. After collaborating for several years with the Compagnia Finzi Pasca, he now directs UCU Senior, helping to strengthen the dialogue between the parties and promote new synergies.
His experience, gained in both the cultural and academic fields, is a strategic asset in translating the agreement's guidelines into concrete and lasting initiatives.
A cultural bridge between Uruguay, Switzerland and beyond
The collaboration will initially last three years, with the possibility of renewal. But the value of the agreement extends far beyond its formal expiration. It represents the first step in a process destined to expand, gradually involving new institutions, new partners, and additional areas of international cooperation.
In the context of relations between Uruguay and Switzerland, the agreement between the Catholic University of Uruguay and the Compagnia Finzi Pasca takes on a special significance: that of a cultural bridge connecting different worlds, promoting the circulation of ideas, talents, and skills.
In a global context where innovation increasingly stems from the intersection of disciplines, this alliance demonstrates how art and academia can become protagonists of a dialogue capable of generating educational, cultural, and social value. A forward-looking model of cooperation, founded on the belief that creativity can be not only an artistic expression, but also a tool for education, healing, and transformation.
