Cuban universities receive the equipment from the project IMPALA

On 3 November 2021, the Cuban universities of the project IMPALA received the equipment which will allow them to this ERASMUS+ project’s objectives and ensure the sustainability of its results.

The equipment will support the work of the departments in the University of Camagüey in charge of the institution’s third mission directly connected to the project IMPALA, in particular, for the project’s coordination and management, as well as the third mission’s tipologies. 

Equipment in the University of Camagüey “Ignacio Agramonte Loynaz”

It has been already used for the III International Scientific Convention Universidad central “Marta Abreu” de Las Villas, in online meetings related to the development of the Local University Centres, or for communicating with members of the university’s community. 

Equipment in the Central University “Marta Abreu” de Las Villas

The University of Holguin (UHo) and the Agrarian University of Havana “Fructuoso Rodríguez Pérez” (UNAH) will seek to give continuity to the process of creating a new third mission activities’ impact evaluation framework, and continue the support to the various training activities of the IMPALA project.

Equipment in the University of Holguin

It is important to mention that all institutions received this IT equipment when activities and meetings had to be held online, due to the epidemiological situation caused COVID-19.

Equipment in the Agrarian University of Havana “Fructuoso Rodríguez Pérez”

IMPALA was at the OIS seminar

On December 10, the IMPALA project was presented at the OIS International Seminar on Good Practices in Internationalization. The presentation IMPALA project, “Strengthening the impact measurement of the third mission” was presented in the framework of the international extension programs and initiatives and development cooperation programs category, after having obtained one of the best marks in the aforementioned category. The presentation was made by Marcela Del Campo M., Extension Director of the Catholic University from Colombia and Coordinator of the IMPALA project at the same institution.

Undoubtedly, this project leads the way in relation to the measurement of impact in extension education, a topic that arouses great interest in Latin America, and that is among the priorities of the universities that comprise it.

Presentation of the impact assessment framework of the third mission from IMPALA at an International event

On November 5th, Marcela Del Campo, Coordinator of the IMPALA project at the Catholic University of Colombia, presented the first version of the impact assessment framework of the third IMPALA mission at the international event called: “conception, management and measurement of extension”. This event was held on November 5th within the framework of the close relationship between the National Extension Network of ASCUN and the Mexican Network of University Extension ANUIES.

The event was attended by a large group of extension education workers from various countries in Central and South America, as follows: 59 Mexican participants, 4 Argentine participants, 4 Panamanian participants, 23 Colombians, 4 Guatemalans and 20 Chilean participants.

The presentation of the project was received with great enthusiasm and, from that moment on, various options have been requested to continue sharing the project and its achievements.

IMPALA is recognized as one of the best internationalization practices in Ibero-American universities.

The Organization of Ibero-American States (OEI) selected the Strengthening IMPAct of Latin American universities / IMPALA project as a quality practice that promotes the internationalization of continuing education. The evaluation was carried out by a panel of experts that reviewed 83 experiences, in which 59 universities from 14 countries throughout the region participated.

This process was carried out by the OEI along with the International Institute for Higher Education in Latin America and the Caribbean (IESALC) -UNESCO, the Autonomous University of Bucaramanga de Colombia (UNAB), the University of Alcalá of Spain (UAH), the National University of Córdoba of Argentina and the Colombian Association of Universities (ASCUN).

The IMPALA project, funded by the European Union, designs and implements an impact evaluation system in third mission (continuing education), inspired by the experience of the EU and adapted to three (3) contexts of Latin American countries (Cuba, Panama and Colombia). 19 partners participate:

Europe:

  • EFMD – The Management Development Network – Bélgica
  • Universita’ Cattolica Del Sacro Cuore– Italia
  • ESADE Business School – España
  • Universitat Politècnica de València– España
  • Nova School of Business and Economics (NOVA) – Portugal 
  • Universidade do Porto – Portugal

Colombia:

  • Colombian Association of Management Faculties (ASCOLFA)
  • University of Antioquia
  • Catholic University of Colombia
  • Valle University
  • La Sabana University
  • Pontifical Javeriana University

Cuba:

  • Ministry of Higher Education
  • University of Camagüey “Ignacio Agramonte Loynaz”
  • Central University “Marta Abreu” of Las Villas
  • University of Holguín (UHO)
  • Agrarian University of Havana

Panama:

  • Specialized University of the Americas (UDELAS)
  • University of Panama (UP)

IMPALA obtained one of the best scores in the category “International extension initiatives and development cooperation programs”. Consequently, the practice will be published in the Ibero-American Manual of Good Practices in Internationalization (MIBPI) of the OEI and the experience will be presented by the Catholic University of Colombia in the Ibero-American Seminar on Quality Practices in Internationalization, on December 9th and 10th 2020.

For further information about the project you can visit: http://impalaproject.eu/es/el-proyecto/ or email to: impalaerasmus@ucatolica.edu.co

Dissemination of IMPALA in Cuba

During the months of September and October 2020 at the University of Holguín (UHo), several dissemination events have been held within the framework of the IMPALA Project. In this way, the results and work perspectives of the project are spread at different levels of the university community. These events were used to consolidate the need to foster a culture of impact in Higher Education Institutions associated with the activities and projects of the Third Mission.

The events allowed the coordinating group of the project by the UHo to share, within the framework of the Board of Directors, with the main directors of the institution, as well as to approach the Faculties and share with professors and researchers the tools designed within the framework of the project: “Impact assessment framework” y “Guidelines for the application of the Impact Assessment Framework in project management”.

The dissemination sessions were also used to launch, at an institutional level, IMPALA Work Packages 3 and 4, and also to analyze the institutional articulation necessary to achieve them. With the development of these work packages, an analysis of the management carried out by each institution according to the Third Mission will be carried out, as well as the implementation of the Impact Assessment Framework in the development of activities or projects related to services to the society.