On Tuesday, April 8, 2025, the launch of the project SUCCESS – Society and Business Centric Education through Sustainable and Smart Co-production was held at the University of Antioquia. Funded by the European Commission through the Erasmus Program, the project is led by Mälardalen University (Sweden), with the University of Cauca participating as a partner institution and active contributor to its development and implementation.

The main goal of SUCCESS is to establish a sustainable capacity for co-production and collaboration in education and research between higher education institutions in Latin America and the Information Technology (IT) business sector. The University of Cauca will play a strategic role in the project, contributing to professional training, applied research projects, academic events, and the strengthening of academia-industry cooperation. Additionally, it will take an active role in quality assurance, dissemination of results, and long-term impact by integrating project outcomes into its curricula.

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To kick off the project, various meetings and sessions were held from April 7 to 10, 2025, including the official opening ceremony at the University of Antioquia. These initial activities were essential for planning and coordinating the project with all participating institutions. Throughout the working week, collaboration guidelines were established, activity strategies were defined, and the connection between academia and the industry was outlined.

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The project director, Professor Radu Dobrin from Mälardalen University, opened the event by presenting the project's background and implementation plan. Planning meetings followed, where work packages for the project’s three-year duration were discussed. Additionally, Francisco Manuel Delicado Martínez from the University of Castilla-La Mancha (Spain) presented the Quality and Monitoring Plan, while Aris Castillo from the Technological University of Panama discussed Dissemination and Exploitation strategies.

The University of Cauca was represented at the event by professors Miguel Ángel Niño Zambrano, Carlos Alberto Cobos Lozada, and Martha Eliana Mendoza Becerra, all from the Department of Systems at the Faculty of Electronic Engineering and Telecommunications.

Participation in this initiative will bring substantial benefits to the University of Cauca. On an international level, it will enhance the university’s presence in academic and research collaboration networks across Europe and Latin America. Institutionally, it will boost capacities in co-production-based education and foster strategic partnerships with the productive sector. Moreover, it will facilitate access to new research networks and collaborations, encouraging alliances with other universities and organizations. Importantly, the academic quality will benefit as the project introduces innovative strategies into educational programs and teaching methodologies.

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The alliance is composed of seven universities: Mälardalen University (Sweden), Åbo Akademi University (Finland), University of Castilla-La Mancha (Spain), Technological University of Panama, University of Panama, University of Antioquia (Colombia), and University of Cauca (Colombia).

 

Written by: Center for Communications Management