Joint action to improve the impact of development cooperation: the Catalan University Development Plan

In order to improve the efficiency, quality and impact of university development cooperation, Spain's Catalan Association of Public Universities (ACUP) has launched a joint action programme.

The initiative, entitled the "Plan for University Cooperation for Development 2011-2015 (UDC Plan)", is aimed at addressing the crucial contribution of higher education to development and the education of responsible citizens. It aims to define an integrated and articulated policy to enhance university development cooperation, considering the key role of higher education for development.

The UDC Plan, promoted by ACUP and elaborated with the participation of Catalan and international experts, is based on the importance of higher education for development as well as the responsibility of universities to contribute to education for responsible citizenship.

Its main objective is to increase the efficiency, quality and impact of the actions of university development cooperation through collaboration and coordination of activities in Catalonia. It represents a clear commitment by Catalan universities to a sustainable global human development.

With this plan they have expressed their intention to view education and research from a global perspective, taking into account the existing inequalities in the world, and to promote universities which are international and socially committed.

The UDC Plan is the result of an extensive and rewarding reflection process and comes from the desire of Catalan public universities to have an instrument which enables them to jointly tackle the current challenges faced by UDC. Based on the importance of higher education and research for human development, and the potential and possibilities offered by universities as development actors, the UDC Plan represents a proactive and joint response by Catalan public universities to the future of university development cooperation.

The preparation of the UDC Plan has enjoyed the collaboration of experts from various national and international organisations such as:

  • the Barcelona Centre for International Health Research (CRESIB);
  • the Global University Network for Innovation (GUNI);
  • the International Catalan Institute for Peace;
  • the Catalan Federation of NGOs;
  • the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD);
  • the Netherlands organisation for international cooperation in higher education (Nuffic);
  • the Norwegian Centre for International Cooperation in Higher Education (SIU);
  • public administrations such as the Diputació of Barcelona, the Generalitat of Catalonia and the Spanish Agency for Development Cooperation.

The plan is being financed by the Catalan Agency of Development Cooperation.

The first part of the UDC Plan discusses the importance of higher education and research for development, the responsibility of universities in the global human development and its role in the formation of responsible citizenship.

The second part sets out the main objectives to be achieved and the priorities and strategic actions for the period 2011-2015.

In this sense, the Plan supports universities, on the one hand, to internally improve their university development activities and promote their recognition and importance within their institutions. On the other hand it stresses the importance of cooperation and collaboration in order to increase the impact of the programmes and projects, profiting by the synergies between all the different partners involved. Finally, the Plan fosters relations with the Government, in order to improve the policies and instruments related to university development cooperation and it promotes collaboration with other actors, as NGOs or enterprises, which are involved in development cooperation.

The document shows the existing inequality between universities in the North and South. Without significantly increasing the capabilities of universities in Southern countries the UN Millennium Development Goals will not be achieved.

However, the UDC Plan not only focuses on the role of universities in Southern countries, but it also examines the responsibility of universities in the North. In this regard, it emphasises the training of responsible citizenship, and it also stresses the great need of educating citizens in order to be informed and act consciously, contributing to the global sustainable development.

In the same way, it highlights the need for research activities that take into account the needs of Southern countries. In accordance with the guidelines of the UDC Plan, ACUP has already started projects such as the "Program of Cooperation with African Universities", that aims to establish stable relations with African universities, strengthen institutional capacities of the participating universities through training and mobility of executives and managers to exchange experiences and best practices, and create a knowledge network among participants.