CORRIENTE XXI aims to support the needs of both Peru and Ecuador towards the sustainable management of aquatic (both marine and freshwater) ecosystems and resources, both nationally and in a trans-boundary context. Aquatic ecosystems harbour unique biodiversity and provide key ecosystem services to people. The core idea of CORRIENTE XXI is that investment in all aspects of the HE curriculum, its research-basis, its improved international embedding, its emphasis on new teaching approaches are the primary trigger for eventual preparedness of the policy-communities , in both countries as well as jointly, to (aquatic) environmental challenges related to the 21st century. CORRIENTE XXI addresses pressing environmental issues by providing 1) research-based academic training ; 2) a framework for transboundary HEI cooperation towards science-based solutions to shared challenges, as a policy-support; 3) an uplift and academisation of teaching personnel and improved student in/through/outflow quality.CORRIENTE XXI will result in two new Master programmes in Ecuador and three updated Master programmes in both countries. Activities (workshops, staff trainings, job-shadowing activities, an integrative conference, an innovative job fair, a Summer School) will train Peruvian and Ecuadorian staff with innovative and integrative skills, providing outputs like training modules for fieldwork practices and curriculum development, innovative pedagogical skills, transferrable and dissemination skills, training tool-kits, e-learning platform and a portfolio of competences. CORRIENTE XXI will lift the quality level of the involved master programmes, increase employability and raise awareness on the importance of aquatic sciences and management; translating to more effective guidelines for policy and management both nationally and in transboundary regions and increasing (inter)national scientific collaboration.

The NB-LAB project addresses the need of the partner universities in Peru and Ecuador for more applied research and research oriented programs, relevant to the current societal and environmental challenges in the region. With this respect, the project will contribute to the modernisation and internationalisation of higher education structures of the partner universities, by setting up capacities for user-driven applied research and innovation that will contribute to sustainable rural community development under preservation and responsible use of the natural resources in the Amazonian Region. For this purpose, the NB-LAB project partners will establish nature-based living labs at the heart of the Amazon Rainforest. Close connection and collaboration with local communities and the indigenous populations will open new avenues for social and economic development in the region.The sustainable operation of the labs will be ensured by their direct integration in both educational and research processes in the partner universities. Community service learning has been selected as most suitable educational approach for the transfer of the research results in the society. It is the most appropriate methodology as it is a powerful experiential tool to improve curricular learning, contribute to solve real societal and environmental problems and develop competencies of engaged citizenship. The NB-Labs will be piloted by the means of an international participatory exchange programme for international students and researchers from multiple disciplines. Two rounds of implementation will test the facilities in the NB-Lab “research village” in Iquitos and the scattered research stations in the rainforest around Tena that will be connected through coordinated research expeditions. By organising staff trainings and exchanges the project will develop the skills and professional performance of the academic to secure the sustainability of the innovation structures.

The primary objective of the Latin-american Alliance for Capacity buildiNG in Advanced Physics (LA-CoNGA Physics) proposal is to modernize the educational platform in eight Latin-American higher education institutions (HEI) from the four countries in the Andean region (Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela), using high-energy physics (HEP) as a model. The aimed modernization relies strongly on the development of an innovative e-learning platform based on low-cost open-access tools, installing connected instrumentation laboratories, a flexible problem-solving-oriented syllabus structured on modules for a one year master program and on the strengthening of cross-institutional relations among the target HEI's.We propose to build capacity in the Andean region by teaching advanced physics during a one year master/specialisation and creating a Virtual Research and Learning Community (VRLC), complemented by training opportunities at 3 leading European research centers, start-up and technology companies in the Andes and Europe, support to career development from the US. HEP is the science of understanding the smallest components of matter and the origin of the universe, looking for answers to key questions of our age. Impressive machines and detectors are needed to achieve the goals of HEP. They are based on breakthrough technologies with the potential to contribute in key areas like healthcare, big data, electronics, open-access collaborative tools, and solid ground for innovative entrepreneurs.In the past, voluntary crowdfunded efforts have been set up to have remote teaching of HEP in some of these HEI from researchers/professors at the beneficiary, i.e. the CEVALE2VE (Centro Virtual de Altos Estudios de Altas Energías in Spanish).This project proposes to create a VRLC by leveraging networks which already exist (CEVALE2VE, LatAm-EU-CERN, RedCLARA) and inexpensive, online teaching technologies. These will be made available to the country HEIs to be used in other fields.

South American countries experiences high levels of crime and violence and consequently a sense of public insecurity, where public bodies capacities to prevent and control crime is limited. This is partially explained by a weak tradition in education provision in the areas of criminology & public security, reflected in limited professional capacities among public officers, not enough skilled to address this societal problem. Academic offers in this area are not widespread, and the existing ones generated an approach to the problems through the hardening of penalties (reform penal codes). Further, the necessary multidisciplinary approach (with other social sciences) is reduced or null.In order to strengthen scientific cooperation & knowledge transfer (evidence-based) SuCCESS aims to strengthening South American teachers and researchers capacity and body of knowledge to develop and improve academic offers in the areas of criminology & public safety, including the development of 4 new masters degrees and 2 new post-graduation/specialization courses, improvement of 2 existing master degrees and the update of lessons and curricular approach in specific Bachelors, through the sharing of experience, knowledge and competences from European Universities.Considering the significant progresses in research and training in these fields in Europe, SuCCESS will promote Euro-South American cooperation and knowledge transfer contributing to improve training of the professionals to perform at higher standards in areas such as crime prevention, delinquency control, public security and social reintegration of ex-convicts, etc., is necessary.SuCCESS assumes that education based on multidisciplinary approach is the key to build a better society: teachers and researchers will develop their capacity on citizen security & criminology issues, enabling the creation of new and improved societal responses, and train students to develop their own solutions and apply them in the real world.