WHAT WE DO
Three action pillars
Interregional policy dialogue
We work closely with the governmental, academic, and social sectors to generate interregional policy dialogue on Higher Education for Development. We also lead an interregional policy dialogue series on topical key issues of common interest, bringing together actors, perspectives, and practices from the different Souths and Norths.
Knowledge production
To contribute to policy debate and to generate new and innovative approaches for education and development, OBREAL produces policy papers and briefs, periodic opinion/think-pieces for the academic world and civil society, and research papers and articles that offer diverse perspectives on South-South-North cooperation.
Capacity building and trainings
We support institutional development and contribute to the enhancement of the quality and relevance of graduate student and young researcher training through building institutional, academic, and administrative staff capacities. OBREAL also contributes to strengthening research and innovation capacities through the consolidation of innovation ecosystems, productive synergies, entrepreneurship, and digital and innovation policies for sustainable development.
Three areas of interest
Innovation
Innovation can and must be promoted by all Higher Education Institutions (HEI), even if they lack the resources to conduct ambitious research. By emphasizing the role of innovation, HEIs can also become development agents and establish a link between the national and international perspectives, opening a door to their participation in the implementation of internationally-funded cooperation projects.
Tertiary education, institutional and policy development
This broad category embraces several themes that are essential to shaping the development cooperation agenda. Specifically, it pertains to the flexibilization and digitalization of learning, quality assessment and quality standards, evaluation, and frameworks; from a broader perspective, it tackles the role of HEIs in regional integration processes, which is precisely OBREAL’s specialty.
Sustainable development
The contribution of the higher education sector to the achievement of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals requires universities to target present and future goals related to employability, production, and citizenship.