Support for universities in Argentina, Paraguay, and Chile for the creation of university offices dedicated to circular economy and social innovation

Title HEADCET – Higher Education pArtnerships for sustainable local Development through Circular Economy and social Innovation

Location  Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, Italy, Spain, Bulgaria

Duration 2023-2025

Partner FE – Fundación Eurosur, UNCUYO – Universidad Nacional de Cuyo (Argentina), UNQ – Universidad Nacional de Quilmes (Argentina), IEV – University of Varna (Bulgaria), PUC – Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile (Cile), UNAB – Universidad Andrés Bello (Cile), UNIFI – Università degli Studi di Firenze (Italia), PIN Prato – Servizi Didattici e Scientifici per l’Università di Firenze (Italia), CEI – CEI International Affairs – University of Barcelona (Spain), UNI – Universidad Nacional de Itapúa (Paraguay), USC- Universidad de San Carlos (Paraguay)

Funding Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union

 

Context

HEADCET was created to support universities in Argentina, Chile, and Paraguay in addressing the challenges of sustainable development, the transition to a circular economy, and social innovation, strengthening their role in local systems and labor markets. In many Latin American contexts, there is still a significant gap between university education and the skills required to support green conversion processes, social innovation, and the creation of new skilled jobs.

The project is consistent with the main regional policies on the circular economy and sustainability in Latin America (Coalición Regional de Economía Circular, Agenda 2030, national plans on sustainable consumption and production) and aims to make universities true hubs of skills, services, and networking on the circular economy and social innovation.

 

General Objective

Support Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in Argentina, Chile, and Paraguay in strengthening their contribution to local sustainable development through:

  • enhancing skills and curricula on the circular economy, social innovation, and sustainability;
  • increasing university engagement through multilevel governance and partnerships with public actors, businesses, and the third sector;
  • improving the employability of students and recent graduates in fields related to the green transition and the circular economy;
  • creating a regional and international network between universities on the circular economy and social innovation, promoting the exchange of good practices.

 

Our contribution

In the HEADCET project, ARCO supported Latin American partner universities in the design and launch of ODECs (Oficinas de Desarrollo sustentable y Economía Circular), university offices dedicated to circular economy and social innovation. Based on ARCO’s experience as a “hybrid” university laboratory combining research and consulting, a reference model for ODECs was developed.

In a second phase, ARCO/PIN supported the universities in setting up the pilot ODECs, helping them to identify and organize physical spaces, identify staff to be assigned to the new structures, and involve young researchers and students. At the same time, a training and mentoring program was designed and implemented for ODEC teams, with workshops and peer learning activities on topics such as consulting for the circular economy, support for businesses and public administration, European project design, and the activation of services for the local area.

ARCO has also led work on Collaborative Local Labs (COLLs), short local co-design workshops linked to ODECs. Through participatory meetings and discussions, COLLs bring together universities, businesses, public bodies, and civil society organizations to analyze needs and opportunities related to the circular economy and develop concrete project ideas, which ODECs can then help to structure and submit to funding programs. In this way, ODECs and COLLs together become the mechanism through which universities strengthen their role in local sustainable development processes.

Read more on the Circular Innovation & Sustainable Commodity Unit