This week we highlight new UNAI member UTEC - the Technological University of Uruguay. Free and public, UTEC was created in 2013 to close gaps in access to higher education and to contribute to Uruguay's socio-economic development with a focus on sustainable and inclusive development, innovation, and applied research in the areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Since its creation, UTEC has been committed to developing its global engagement strategy with more than 40 international agreements and more than $9 million in internationally funded projects by the European Union, Inter-American Development Bank, CAF Bank of Development, United States Government, and Fulbright Program.
In 2018 as part of its commitment to encouraging global citizenship through education and to promote intercultural dialogue and understanding, UTEC approved the UTEC Internationalization Policy, a strategy that promotes internationalization as a means of strengthening both teaching and learning, research and innovation processes, as well university management among other areas.
In September 2018 the university also held a Move with #UTECGlobal day at ITR Centro-Sur in which students and researchers who had studied abroad shared their experiences, and students also had the opportunity to speak with representatives from study-abroad programs and learn about international scholarships. The Uruguayan International Cooperation Agency, the Fulbright Uruguay Commission and the embassies of the United Kingdom, Canada, the United States, Israel and the Netherlands were all on hand to discuss opportunities to study abroad.
Last year the university entered into six international cooperation agreements, including with Clausthal University of Technology (Germany), National University of Entre Ríos, National University of Salta (Argentina) and Autonomous University of Querétaro (Mexico). Technical cooperation agreements were signed with the Andean Development Corporation (CAF) and the Mixed Technical Commission of Salto Grande.
In 2018 UTEC placed the first Calls for International Mobility for Students, Graduates and Collaborators, which will finance the participation of UTEC students and educators in international meetings, academic and professional internships, as well as technical visits and exchanges with global universities. Eleven applications were financed for activities to be carried out in Argentina, Costa Rica, Spain, Portugal, the United Kingdom and Switzerland during the first semester of 2019, totalling $37,000 USD in grants.