STUDENT GUIDE 2019/2020
Cooperation and social involvement
The UOC fosters university development cooperation in every sphere of the institution: teaching, research, the student body and administration. We therefore support projects aimed at narrowing the educational, social and gender divide and which seek to engage the entire university community in addressing major global and collective challenges.
How does the UOC see university cooperation?
The UOC has incorporated the United Nations' 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development as a road map for the University with a global outlook: work to recover the role of the university as a driving force for transformation in society and to train professionals and citizens with global skills who create value to construct a fairer, more inclusive and sustainable society.
In a global, interconnected environment, universities play a key role in the field of cooperation, with the mission of contributing to human development through the generation and transfer of knowledge.
For this reason, the UOC works alongside institutions and entities worldwide to ensure knowledge with everyone and for everyone, to strengthen higher education systems in the countries of origin and to contribute to social progress, sustainable development and future opportunities to reduce world poverty and inequality.
How can I get involved in cooperation projects?
A large part of the funding of cooperation and social involvement initiatives currently comes from the University's own resources, but to ensure the continuity of the projects and to open up other channels of cooperation, the collaboration of the whole of the University community is needed. This cooperation can be done in two ways:
- Charitable enrolment: when enrolling, students have the option of making a financial contribution of 10 euros. They just need to check the UOC cooperation contribution option when completing enrolment.
- Volunteering: the UOC promotes and undertakes several volunteering programmes (see the next point), but it also cooperates in others on a national and international scale. In addition, the hours devoted to volunteering promoted by the UOC can be recognized with credits for bachelor's degree students.
What are the cooperation projects undertaken by the UOC?
In 2018, student charitable enrolment contributions came to a total of 38,540.01 euros. This money has contributed to funding part of the following projects and activities:
- Welcome programme for refugees and asylum seekers: programme undertaken with the aim of ensuring that refugees have access to quality, inclusive and fair education, and of enriching the learning process of the whole of the university community with the exchange of experiences. It is undertaken with the support of entities such as the Spanish Commission for Refugees (CEAR), the Spanish Catholic Immigration Committee (ACCEM) and the Red Cross, and the UOC's volunteer mentoring service. The three programmes called to date have benefited 105 students.
- Right to Food Week: initiative started in 2015 to raise awareness among the university community of the universal right to food, not wasting food, improving nutrition and food security, as well as the importance of sustainability and the responsible management of resources to feed ourselves without exhausting them or ruining the environment. Since then, it has been done in October or November every year.
In addition, the UOC is currently working on the development of the two following programmes:
- Visibility and awareness actions of the United Nations' 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
- Project to improve university access to under-represented groups
UOC students around the world
