Improvement of the quality of life* at the Austro-Ecuatoriano

IUC with Universidad de Cuenca, EcuadorLeuven, June 2014

* National plan “buen vivir”

Presentation UCuenca 2 31 March 2006

Ecuador map

Andean

Amazon

(independence 1830)•High biodiversity(Coast, Andes, Amazon)

• Mixed ethnics (Indian, Spanish, African)

• Emigration(workforce in USA, Spain, Italy)

Coastal

Starting point (July 2007) Universidad de Cuenca = teaching university

• Second oldest university in Ecuador (1867)• Teaching institution (paid by hour of teaching; 13000 students)

• Mainly part-time teachers (70% are professionals who teach part-

time; 700 academic staff with 30% ♀)

• Tradition of service to society, art and culture• Limited number of PhD-holders by research (+/-20)Change to teaching based on active research

Polictical situation in Ecuador• Democratically elected President Rafael Correa

started 15 Jan 2007, re-elected 2009 & 2013

• “Christian left”, a lot of change by imposed decisions– Growth thanks to petrol and migration remittances– Continuous changes in ministries and services– Increased spending to social & infrastructure projects

• Very interesting period of changes towards better quality of life and more equality

Challenge for all Ecuadorian universities

• A new law for education (approved October 2010 )– Centralization of university accounts (loss of autonomy+ central bank)– Higher quality by more PhD’s ( 60% with PhD in 7 years) => impossible – Full time professors (40 hours/week) => end of the part-time

professor combining (a) professional job(s)

• Escalafon (salary/promotion scale)– PhD from a SENESCYT recognized university, web-of-science papers

• 4 new state universities + closing of the worst universities• Difficult relation between universities and government

IUC Ucuenca Improvement of the quality of life in the Austro-Ecuatoriano

Transversal project (1)• Institutional change to strengthen

research and education

Vertical Research projects (6)• Food, nutrition and health• Human sexuality • Integrated water quality management• Characterization of medicinal plants• City conservation and planning• Migration and local development

Transversal program• Classical activities with Library, ICT, human resources

support, teaching improvement, scientific writing workshops…

• Vanguardia program aimed at best students– Objective: Creating a pool towards future research-professors with PhD

=> 10 year plan to increase # of PhD’s <> 7 year 60% target by government– Opportunities: Senescyt scholarships (3000) for training future

academics abroad– Honours programme with the best students in last and forelast year of

every curriculum=> Motivate the young talent towards academic research career

Vanguardia Approach1. Top students in a Honours Program of 25 ECTS during the penultimate (8 ECTS) and ultimate (17 ECTS) year of their undergraduate studies2. Improve English for admission at top universities (level C1) & to be part of the international academic environment3. Training in the scientific research methodology (14 ECTS)4. First exposure to research by a a research paper (5 ECTS)5. Coach them for scholarship application to graduate programs abroad, to obtain Senescyt (and other) funding 6. Reintegration upon graduation into the university by asking faculties to formulate research lines

Implementation of Vanguardia• University-wide for all faculties at UCuenca

– Different degree of development of faculties (human sciences more need than biomedical and science and technology)

• Integration of credits within the curricula• Blended learning with video-lectures and local

coaches• Development of research culture within teaching

IUC Ucuenca Improvement of the quality of life in the Austro-Ecuatoriano

Vertical Research projects (6)• Food, nutrition and health• Human sexuality • Integrated water quality management• Characterization of medicinal plants• City conservation and planning• Migration and local development

Transversal project (1)• Institutional change to strengthen research

and education

CITY CONSERVATION AND PLANNING

Cuenca Urban environment

City preservation

Migration and localDevelopment

Human sexuality

Azuay Rural environment

Medicinal plants

Integrated Water Quality Management

Food, nutrition and health

LAYERSHistorical photographies

ANALYSIS

RESTITUTION

Current photographies

Image Rectification

Georeferencing

DOCUMENTS AND GEOREFERENCING SYSTEM (GIS)

1.978

2.008

• Trees• Fountain

• Deck• Courtyard• Terrace• Roof• Garden

Personal Geodatabase

Polygon

Point

City preservation

REFERENCE SYSTEM AND METODOLOGY FOR ESTABLISHING

THE DAMAGE LEVELS ANDPLANNING PREVENTIVE

CONSERVATION

LEVEL OR RISK = Threat x Vulnerability

A Master Program is Ongoing

Preventive Conservation and Monitoring System

Heritage as a Resource: Methodology

Historic Urban landscape: Methodology for the Analysis

Heritage as a Resource:Research Lab.

World heritage City Preservation Management (vlirCPM)

I Cohorte:30 Students20 Professors.

San Roque 2014:23 houses mantained.

Bibliography & local documentation research.

Bibliograph, local documentation research & workshops.

Lab & equipment instalation has been concluded on 2014.

Sex education, including prevention of sexual violence- is studied in different contexts.

Socio-cultural factors are being analyzed

Violence prevention: capacity building training for local experts

Sex Education: Working with local authorities and schools

International Migration and Local Development* Use of GIS for the implementation of census in Sigsig and Biblian as a mechanism for monitoring migration impact

* Surveys designed and implemented in the school population of the communities of Sigsig and Biblian to analyse the psychological wellbeing of children

* Studies on the impact of remittances and migration on human capital and entrepreneurship activities of returnees

Nutrion, Food and HealthInfant study

Baseline studyIntervention study (?)

BreastfeedingComplementary foods

AnthropometryFood safety (mycotoxins)

1 PhD (Cuenca)

Adolescent study

Baseline studyIntervention study

Food consumptionPhysical activityAnthropometryBlood analysis

Qualitative aspects

1 PhD (Cuenca)1 PhD (Ghent)

Water Quality: E.g. Tarqui basinWater quality in contrasting watersheds

(Santa Ana de los cuatro ríos de Cuenca)

• Paramo “natural” ecosystem• Pastures, crops and human activities

Pharmacological characterization of medicinal plants

EXPLORING USE OF MEDICINAL PLANTS FOR FOR THE TREATMENT OF GASTROINTESTINAL (GI) PROBLEMS

Current challenges:• Zebra-fish as testing technology• characterization of active extracts by HPLC

Management of an IUC• Complex programme but good support by ICOS

(international office) and PSU (local office)– Specific for Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia… some familiarity with Latin

American culture is useful– Our ICOS is better as compared to other Flemish universities

• Troublesome combined and contradictory burocracy for financial management – VLIR regulations, financial offices KU Leuven and Ucuenca– Other Flemish universities are better at support during difficult

periods