Knowledge transfer from Universities is universally recognised as an effective way to add value to society and the economy. Sharing knowledge, encouraging innovation and developing commercial activities all form an integral part of the knowledge economy and underpin innovation and the resulting economic growth and societal development. With the economic growth in Latin America more attention is being paid to the role and contribution of Universities in providing such knowledge. Yet, in many cases the research infrastructure, the capacity and capability to support Doctoral level research and the management of the research process and infrastructure are variable and in some cases highly limited and fragmented. New knowledge needs to be managed through a good research process and infrastructure or innovation will not occur/reach market. This requires a clear research strategy for the University and the development of an institutional research culture. The process is facilitated and sustained through the development of PhD and other forms of Doctoral students (DBA). The project aims to build the capacity of Latin American Universities to develop their research culture and construct focused, relevant and meaningful research strategies which support the need for innovation and new knowledge in the economy. Secondly, in order to support the creation of new knowledge the sustainability of contributions of the Universities to the society and economy, the project will develop the rigor, quality and transferability of Doctoral provision by building the capability and capacity for Doctoral supervision skills and Doctoral student training in Latin American Universities. The outcome from the project is a roadmap for research strategy development and a toolkit for shaping a research culture in a Latin American University, paired with a Doctoral Support Network and a curriculum of tools and techniques to help students and supervisors successfully navigate their Doctoral journey.

By focusing on urban resilience, CARE addresses one of the most urgent topics in EU and Latin America (LA). Most LA countries are dealing with climate risk management issues, but they lack a holistic and common approach to resilience. International cooperation seems then the best-fit environment where to develop joint learning tools, go in depth on peculiar research and deliver support to policy makers. An urban resilience framework calls for a process that brings together diverse departments and sectors to identify appropriate measures, responses and recovery. It needs transversal competences, e-skills, creativity and flexibility. CARE aims to challenge those issues by promoting HEI staff’s and students’ interdisciplinary skills by developing innovative educational approaches to planning. Furthermore, it aims to bring the challenge within the core of urban municipalities by directly and indirectly training professionals and officers to shape resilient policies.To attain this goals, CARE proposes an alternation of desk activities and workshops aimed at the collective production, development, sharing, testing and dissemination of Open Educational Resources (OERs), based on the use of collaborative Conceptual Maps. Being publicly available on the CARE e-learning platform in English and Spanish, they are expected to empower programme courses in HEIs (CARE Cmaps) and provide targeted training for professionals, public officers, policy makers (Open Training Modules).CARE outputs will challenge the complex and interconnecting issues related to urban resilience. It will operate to transfer resilience conceptual issues into operational capabilities in local government, civil society and professional communities.Finally CARE aims at establishing a network among LA, Europe and outside, to improve their educational capacities on urban resilience, as well as to transfer CARE results and findings to an operational policy perspective at different territorial levels.

CAMINOS deepened the Latin American Higher Education Space by improving the capacity of universities, associations and networks to enhance, promote and manage regional Latin American student and staff mobility. Specifically, the project developed a common mobility management model (defined by a Handbook) to this effect, premised upon and linking existing Latin American bi/multi-lateral mobility programmes and providing guidance on managing mobility. The project had three essential phases:1)A research phase for mapping a) existing Latin American mobility schemes and their management practices and rules, b) the actors and universities that participate in them and manage them2)A development phase for generating a Handbook that provided concrete advice to universities and networks/associations on how to enhance and promote mobility in the region. Focus groups on topics such as mobility management, credit transfer, recognition, institutional partnerships and joint degrees were organised to help draft the Handbook. In addition, study visits of Latin American partners to European universities were organised, to look at institutional case studies on these topics. 3)A pilot phase, whereby the Handbook was applied by both the partner associations/networks and the partner universities. Each partner implemented a pilot project that corresponded to at least one aspect of a mobility management ‘process’ listed in the Handbook. This included building a website for promoting mobility in the region, installing a new database for mobility, organizing international internships and summer schools in the LA region, etc. Coaching was provided by European partners to support the pilots. The project responded to the fact that LA regional mobility is a growing priority as it fosters academic cooperation and regional harmonisation. CAMINOS also reflected the interest to better promote ‘structured’ mobility and staff mobility. The project involved universities from Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Chile and Ecuador, as well as university associations from these countries. Additional actors and related E+ projects were involved in project activities to ensure wider ownership and synergies. A final project conference was positioned as a larger event for generating ‘clustering’ and synergies between beneficiaries of E+ projects in LA, dealing with themes related to internationalisation, mobility, recognition and joint programmes. The project has a direct impact in the LA partner universities in terms of their ability to manage mobility and generate awareness for the importance of regional mobility. In addition, the associations in the project were able to launch and and conduct a first assessment of a regional programme for mobility – ‘PILA’ – which allows for mutual exchange between Argentina, Colombia and Mexico, and should be expanded to other countries in the near future.