On November 10 and 11, the “I Yachay Tech Community Engagement Symposium 2022” was held at Yachay Tech University and at the Cuartel de Ibarra Cultural Center. It was a space for the society to learn about the results and impact generated from the community engagement programs and/or projects carried out by the university in collaboration with public and private institutions at the national level. The event was attended by the main authorities of the University and guests.

Diego Pérez, Ed.D., Rector of Yachay Tech, stated: “it is a commitment for us to share the learning acquired in university degree programs by creating spaces in which the knowledge generated by students, faculty and the community in general can be disseminated in order to improve in many areas. The university has been known for carrying out outstanding projects and research, however, it is of no use if it is not shared and it is kept to ourselves. Sharing knowledge through the dissemination and socialization of projects will be beneficial for the good of our society.”

Ruth Oropeza, MSc., Community Engagement Director and representative of the Internships and Community Engagement Committee expressed: “The I Yachay Tech Community Engagement Symposium 2022 is the first event that the university community holds to announce the results that the university has generated through its outreach projects. The schools have 7 lines of community engagement projects that have been carried out since 2018 with the goal of transferring the knowledge that students acquire during their training for the benefit of the community.

The purpose of the symposium is to promote the integration and exchange of ideas and knowledge in the field of science, health, well-being, education, innovation and technology, and to share experiences and results of engagement projects between the community and public and private institutions.

After an arduous selection and evaluation process by the scientific committee, the attendees were presented with the selected projects by prominent members of the scientific community and University students through two modalities: posters and oral presentations.

The projects presented during the days of the event were:

• “Seiton”
• “Sisakids”
• “Mikuna Yachay”
• “Academic-Scientific Support to the Imbabura Geopark”
• “Inspirathon”
• “Pimampiro: ecotourism around the Andean bear as an umbrella species towards sustainable community development”
• “Sustainable water nanofilters”
• “ Contributing to change in the industry: bio-friendly construction with 3D printing”
• “Russell EdTech”: A logical (symbolic) thinking and critical thinking project for Ecuador
• “The cultivation of Industrial Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) and its impact on the Agricultural-community development in Urcuquí – Imbabura”
• Guambra Cuna in Science

“Mikuna Yachay”, which focuses on improving the quality of milk from small producers and “Sisakids”, focused on the creation of social enterprises to solve problems in education, migration and gender are two of the projects that stood out.

Additionally, the symposium featured discussion forums on community engagement in different disciplinary fields. The student clubs and student associations of Yachay Tech were also part of the event, with the aim of achieving a connection between the students so that they participate in the generation of not only academic but also social knowledge networks that allow them to grow in the scientific field for the good of our society.

Yachay Tech University shows once again through this initiative its commitment to share, disseminate and promote the development of projects focused on strengthening a better society.