The public universities of the Valencian Community and El Salvador catalyze the promotion of social innovation in the face of youth unemployment

A round table for dialogue and advocacy on university environments as stimulators of social innovation and young entrepreneurship closes the INNOVATE UES technical cooperation project in Valencia.

A delegation from the University of El Salvador visits Valencia to expand the network of institutional and academic contacts that will strengthen the Salvadoran entrepreneurial fabric.

INNOVATE UES involves more than 400 people in El Salvador and Spain, in addition to training 75 students in innovation and social entrepreneurship.

INNOVATE UES | The technical cooperation project in El Salvador has promoted innovation and social entrepreneurship among UES students and faculty.

The Valencian technical cooperation project INNOVATE UES, developed in the Faculty of Jurisprudence and Social Sciences and the Faculty of Engineering and Architecture of the University of El Salvador (UES), the only public university in the country, ends its first phase of development with the celebration in Valencia of a Roundtable for dialogue and advocacy on the role of university environments in promoting innovation and social entrepreneurship as a strategy to combat youth unemployment and social exclusion in the Central American country. Led by Jovesólides and with the technical assistance of IDEAS UPV, it has trained 75 Salvadoran students and teachers in social innovation and laid the foundations for strengthening an entrepreneurial fabric with a social and gender focus that will sustain the initiatives in the long term. During the course of INNOVATE UES, more than 400 people have participated in the activities organized and the training provided, working to turn the Salvadoran demand for innovation and social entrepreneurship into a reality.

Six successful university experiences in social innovation and youth entrepreneurship

As a culmination of INNOVATE UES, a round table of dialogue and advocacy was held at IDEAS-UPV in Valencia to analyze the catalytic role of Valencian and Salvadoran public universities in promoting innovation and transformative social entrepreneurship in the countries of the Global South. Hugo Pineda and Luis Barrera, deans respectively of the Faculty of Jurisprudence and Social Sciences and the Faculty of Engineering and Architecture of the UES; Liberto Carratalá, coordinator of the Master in Social Innovation and Dynamics of Change of the University of Alicante; Israel Griol, technician of the IDEAS-UPV Institute and head of StartUPV; Carlos Fabra, entrepreneurship technician of the Miguel Hernández University (UMH) of Elche; Juana Aznar, director of the area of Development Cooperation of the UMH; and Antonio Verdú, professor of business organization of the UMH.

During the event, the successful experiences of six university environments in Spain and the Americas were presented. The participants focused on the process they followed to achieve their goals and the challenges they had to overcome. Israel Griol, head of StartUPV, talked about Climate Launchpad, the largest green startup competition in Europe. Carlos Fabra, from the UMH Science Park, told a hopeful story about not giving up and pursuing goals. After 11 years of work, they have launched the first rocket from Spain. In addition, Juana Aznar highlighted the experience of her corporation in projects with Rwanda and Uganda.

“The biggest challenge is mental,” said Salvadoran Dean Hugo Pineda during his speech. Pineda has valued very positively the joint effort of Jovesólides and Ideas-UPV to adapt the European model of social innovation to the Salvadoran reality and has emphasized the importance of training professionals in El Salvador.

Dr. Liberto Carratalá, for his part, inspired the other educational entities with the experience of the master’s degree he directs, one of the few in this field in Spain, which has already reached its sixth edition.

INNOVATE UES | The technical cooperation project has made it possible to equip new spaces for innovation and social entrepreneurship at the UES.

Synergies between El Salvador and the Valencian Community to strengthen the mutual entrepreneurial network

The visit of the Salvadoran delegation of the UES to Valencia has also served to create synergies that contribute to the technical development of other entrepreneurial environments.

The General Director of Cooperation, Pedro Carceller, received the UES representatives to follow up on the project and learn about its impact on the fight against youth unemployment. Carceller has recognized the work of Jovesólides and IDEAS UPV to transfer the Valencian reality of social innovation and entrepreneurship to El Salvador.

In addition, the delegation held a working meeting with Pilar Serra and Carmen Lloret, Vice Chancellor and delegate, respectively, of Development Cooperation of the UV; and with Ana Isabel Blanco García, Vice Dean of Mobility and Internationalization of the Faculty of Law also of the University of Valencia. They have also strengthened institutional ties with the director of the Master’s Degree in Mediation, Arbitration and Conflict Management in Private Law of the UV, Raquel Guillén Catalán. They were also able to learn about the educational work of the Master’s Degree in Cooperation and the Institute of Local Development, both of the University of Valencia.

On the other hand, Dr. José Gabriel Ríos Lizama, head of the Educational Resources and Multimedia Office (GREM) of the Polytechnic University of Valencia, has received the Salvadorian delegation and Jovesólides to address the monitoring of new ways of collaboration and technical assistance to enhance the TIC LAB project.

Social innovation, a driver of employment and inclusion in El Salvador

The INNOVATE UES project, financed with funds from the Valencian cooperation, has improved the knowledge and training of the staff of the University of El Salvador, the involvement of the administrations and the promotion of inter-university networks. In addition, two spaces have been created within the UES specifically dedicated to promoting entrepreneurship and social innovation.

More than 75 people have been trained in entrepreneurship and social innovation with a gender perspective at the University of El Salvador thanks to the project. In addition, the Challenge Hackathon and the creation of a University Center for Social Innovation promise to strengthen an entrepreneurial ecosystem with a social focus in the country.

INNOVATE UES | Challenge Hackaton at UES where different real challenges in El Salvador have been solved through social innovation.

INNOVATE UES is a technical cooperation project funded by the Second Vice-Presidency and Regional Ministry of Social Services, Equality and Housing promoted by Jovesólides with the collaboration of IDEAS UPV of the Polytechnic University of Valencia. If you want to know all the news and activities of this project, follow the hashtag #InnovateUES on social networks.