Changes

* '''Íthaka Center''' (Innovation & Entrepreneurship).* '''Ludus Center''' (Educational Innovation).* '''Agora Center''' (Leadership and Public Life).* '''Ignis Center''' (Research on Digital Culture and Communication).* '''University Health Clinics''' (Primary Care and Community Health).* '''Berit Center''' (Jewish Studies).

* '''Hackathon “Suma Innovación a tu Carrera”''', awarding scholarships to high school students through innovation challenges.* '''LOOP Innovation Week''' (2018–2019) → evolved into '''UCU Week''', held annually since 2021, where classes are suspended and students access entrepreneurial workshops, design sprints, and innovation bootcamps.* '''Innovation Community''' (since 2020), a student-driven initiative to solve campus challenges.* '''Podcast “Onda Emprendedora”''' and open sessions with local entrepreneurs.* '''“Intervalos” Project''', live student interviews with CEOs and business leaders.

* ''Potenciá Gastronomía'': training and networking for culinary entrepreneurs.* ''Mujeres que Construyen'': supporting women in construction and design industries.* ''Capacitaciones EDMP'': training in entrepreneurial design and management practices.* ''Emprendimiento que Quiere Crecer'': accelerator program for scaling startups.

== Actively supporting the university technology transfer function ==

* '''Patent registration''' and IP rights.* '''Legal mentoring''' for student and faculty startups.* '''Seed fund competitions''' that include IP advisory services.

== Facilitating university-industry collaboration ==

* '''Íthaka Mentoring Program''', linking projects with industry experts.* '''Ignis Convoca''', encouraging participation in international innovation contests.* '''IdeasLab''', a pre-incubation program to validate business models.* '''Circular Opportunities''', an initiative to support sustainable business models.

* '''Career Fair (Feria Laboral)''', the largest in the country, where 80+ companies meet UCU students annually.* '''UCU Job Portal''' (since 2023), matching students with internships and jobs.* Professional practices in '''Engineering, Communication, Medicine, and Business''', often developed with companies as final projects.

* '''Engineering Promotion Fund (ANII)''' supports senior-year entrepreneurship projects.* '''“Challenges” courses''' in Computer Science (team-based solutions to real problems in 3-week sprints).* '''Graduate School Capstone Program''', requiring every graduate student to engage in applied professional practice.

* Expansion of '''faculty mentoring networks''' in Íthaka programs.* Faculty-led applied research projects with direct commercialization potential.* Growth of '''interdisciplinary teaching teams''', e.g., Medicine + Engineering in health-tech projects.* Launch of '''faculty innovation workshops''' in sustainable business and circular economy.

<div><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><big>UCU facilitates the relationship between industry and the university in multiple ways, some of which are described below.</big></span></span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><big><b>Innovation & Entrepreneurship</b></big></span></span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><big>There are two main programmes that regulate and connect the entrepreneurship and innovation that takes place in university with real-life organizations, business and markets. The first one is the mentoring program offered by Ithaka. This one supports students, professors, and alumni in developing their ideas in the pursuit of transforming them into entrepreneurs. This program launches a call to help eight companies, where in three months they assign them a mentor who has experience in the area each project needs, the programm counts with 25 academic staff as mentors. In fact, the seed funds competitions have a designated budget for Ithaka’s members. Also, Ithaka offers legal mentoring by a lawyer and professor of the university.</big></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /><big>The second one is the “Ignis Convoca” program, which also gives students support but, at the same time, pushes them to participate in contests regional and international.</big></span></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><big><span id="docs-internal-guid-13109c4b-7fff-7bf1-9cd7-927874d96264"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The university, a few years ago, organized activities to facilitate validation with incubators. An example of this was IdeasLab, a pre-incubation program, where mentoring, tutoring and training were given by mentors who help validate the participant ́s business plan.</span></span></big></span></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /><big><span id="docs-internal-guid-13109c4b-7fff-7bf1-9cd7-927874d96264"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Moreover, as UCU believes that social responsibility and engagement is important, it promoted with Ithaka a program called “Circular Opportunities” that provided tutorships and training to entrepreneurs trying to address social and environmental problems. These programs are no longer available in the university, but those mentioned above have increased their impact on the entrepreneurial area of ​​the university.</span></span></big></span></span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><big><b>Job opportunities facilitators</b></big></span></span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><big>“Feria Laboral” is an annual event. It is mainly a fair whose aim is inserting students into the labour market. This activity consists of a large number of companies from different fields gathered for this day in the university to describe, inform and offer different career opportunities that students can apply for.</big></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><big><span id="docs-internal-guid-36e22a4e-7fff-ac8f-703d-47ebb2fe419e"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There are several internships available as well, for students that want to start working at the university, such opportunities include being part of the centers, the administration or the technical support. In addition, in the last year, a job portal has been developed, where students can upload their curriculum and discover job proposals that suit their skills.</span></span></big></span></span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><big><b>Work-practice opportunities</b></big></span></span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><big>Universidad Catolica del Uruguay offers infrastructure and resources for making their own professional practices before graduation.</big></span></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><big><span id="docs-internal-guid-dddfe150-7fff-034d-40ed-28c9e32574d9"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">UCU is currently going through a changing process, the whole university is turning into a more insightful and transversal education center aiming for an interdisciplinary and intercareer process of education and formation. Ucu is trying to make professionals adapt to today’s needs by teaching them that knowing a lot of only one thing is not the best way to approach the work market. Today’s needs require a deep but not professional knowledge about a vast amount of topics. UCU is making us try to be profesionales at projects and working in teams of different professions rather than solo workers.</span></span></big></span></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><big><span id="docs-internal-guid-dddfe150-7fff-034d-40ed-28c9e32574d9"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As a way to promote an innovative and entrepreneurial spirit in students, UCU has a wide variety of offers regarding work practices. In most majors, internships are offered in external companies for students who are about to finish their studies. In some departments, students are invited to carry out projects in collaboration with companies and with academic staff, as are the base of audiovisual technicians, the UCU business in company and the original content production line programs.</span></span></big></span></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><big><span id="docs-internal-guid-dddfe150-7fff-034d-40ed-28c9e32574d9"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The engineering department has the engineering promotion fund by the ANII to promote engineering projects and many of the final year students chose to do the entrepreneurship variant of the final project.</span></span></big></span></span></div>The Computer Science career has incorporated a new kind of course, known as "Challenges". This is an opportunity for the students to show their streng t[[Category:Schools]]h

ctThe '''Universidad Católica del Uruguay (UCU)''' fosters strong connections between academia and industry, in order to find a solution for a real problem ensuring that is present in our society. <br /><div><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:arialstudents,helveticafaculty,sansand alumni engage with real-serif;"><big><span id="docs-internal-guid-dddfe150-7fff-034d-40ed-28c9e32574d9"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And last but not leastworld organizations, businesses, there and markets. Collaboration is a program offered by the graduate school named Capstonepromoted through structured programs, mentoring, where professional practices are supportedfairs, given that are mandatory for every graduate studentand work-practice opportunities.</span></span></big></span></span></div>

==Engaging with regional and local economic development efforts=Innovation & Entrepreneurship =<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-sizeUCU integrates entrepreneurship with industry via several flagship programs:small;"><big><span style="font-family * '''Íthaka Mentoring Program''':arialSupports students,helveticafaculty,sans-serif;">Uruguayan government is helping the startup industry flourish by implementing these institutions&nbsp;: National Agency of Research and Innovation (ANII) alumni in developing business ideas and National Development Agency (ANDE)transforming them into startups. Enhancing thisEach year, the Co work spaces eight projects are selected and the special Centers dedicated paired with expert mentors, including 25 academic staff members. The program also includes access to supporting '''seed funds''' and '''legal mentoring''' from UCU professors.* '''Ignis Convoca Program''': Encourages participation in '''regional and international competitions''', connecting students, postgraduates and graduates with an entrepreneurial spirit are an important base in the progress of the realization of ideasglobal innovation networks.</span></big></span></div><div style="text* '''IdeasLab (pre-alignincubation program)''': justify;"><span style="font-size:small;"><big><span style="font-family:arialProvided training,helveticamentoring,sansand validation for early-serif;">Regarding to ANIIstage ventures, this institution makes available to laying the public funds foundation for research projectsUCU’s incubation culture.* '''Circular Opportunities''': Although no longer active, national this initiative trained entrepreneurs addressing '''social and international postgraduate scholarships and incentive programs for innovative culture and entrepreneurshipenvironmental problems''', both in the private and public sectorsleaving a legacy of socially responsible innovation within Íthaka.</span></big></span></div><div style ="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:small;"><big><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">In relation to ANDE,&nbsp; their aim is to contribute to productive economic development, in a sustainable way, with social equity Job Opportunities and environmental and territorial balance.</span></big></span></div><div styleCareer Integration =="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-sizeUCU facilitates student access to the labor market through multiple initiatives:small;"><big><span style="font-family * '''Feria Laboral''':arialAn annual career fair bringing together more than 80 companies from diverse sectors,helvetica,sans-serif;">Ithaka is the Sponsoring Institution of Entrepreneurship providing information and direct hiring opportunities for UCU students.* '''UCU Job Portal''' (IPEsince 2023) in front of the National Research : An online platform where students upload CVs and Innovation Agency (ANII) apply to internships and the National Development Agency (ANDE)jobs tailored to their skills.</span></big></span></div><div style="text* '''On-aligncampus internships''': justify;"><span style="font-size:small;"><big><span style="font-family:arialOpportunities for students to gain experience in administration,helveticaresearch centers,sans-serif;">Thanks to the and technical support of ANII and ANDE, Ithaka´s&nbsp; pre-incubated entrepreneurs will have access to capital to carry out within the validation of their ideaUniversity itself.</span></big></span></div><div><br /></div><div style="text== Work-align: justify;"><span stylePractice Opportunities =="font-size:small;"><big><span style="font-family:arialUCU emphasizes '''interdisciplinary and transversal education''',helvetica,sans-serif;">In turnpreparing students for today’s job market, the Ithaka center has launched two competitions, Tecnolog and Kenn S George to promote and help the different entrepreneurs that apply. These are two workshops where the teams that submit their projects will be trained and the winner will obtain seed capital for their entrepreneurshipwhich demands teamwork across diverse disciplines rather than isolated specialization.</span></big></span></div>

Since last yearThrough these initiatives, IthaKa has joined forces with the Municipio CHUCU consolidates itself as a '''bridge between academia and industry''', promoting innovation, employability, ANDE and the Ministry of Interior, by supporting the project entrepreneurial spirit among its students and faculty.</div>==Engaging with regional and local economic development efforts==<div style="Andrés Abt Entrepeneurs´ sentry boxestext-align: justify;" (Garitas para emprendedores Andrés Abt). The main goal >[[Category:Universities]]o

munityThe '''Uruguayan government''' has been strengthening the startup ecosystem through the '''National Agency of Research and Innovation (ANII)''' and the '''National Development Agency (ANDE)'''. Both institutions play a central role in funding, mentoring, and supporting innovation initiatives in Uruguay. ANII provides grants for research projects, national and international postgraduate scholarships, and programs that foster an entrepreneurial culture in both public and private sectors. ANDE focuses on sustainable economic development with social equity and territorial balance. <div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size:small;"><big>UCU, through the '''<span id="docs-internal-guid-da02c675-7fff-5720-b0ee-7f1b6ab3a6c5"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">UCU ́s Strategic Plan for the Future</span></span>Íthaka Center'''</big></span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size:small;"><big><span style="font-family:arial,helveticais recognized as an official '''Sponsoring Institution of Entrepreneurship (Institución Patrocinadora de Emprendimientos – IPE)''' before ANII and ANDE. Thanks to this recognition,sans-serif;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-da02c675-7fff-5720-b0ee-7f1b6ab3a6c5"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: Íthaka’s pre-wrap;">In a diverse incubated entrepreneurs gain access to capital and resources to validate and scale their ideas. Íthaka also runs competitions such as '''Tecnolog''' and alarming world'''Kenn S. George''', we which provide teams with workshops, mentoring, and seed capital for the winning projects. These initiatives have positioned UCU as one of the challenge of committing ourselves to most active universities in fostering early-stage entrepreneurship in Uruguay. Since 2023, Íthaka has partnered with '''Municipio CH''', '''ANDE''', and the creation '''Ministry of sustained value Interior''' in the relationships '''“Andrés Abt Entrepreneurs’ Sentry Boxes” project''', which repurposes disused police booths into spaces for entrepreneurs to showcase and decisions we make dailysell their products.</span></span></span></big></span></div><div><span styleThis project not only generates new job opportunities but also contributes to urban renewal and community integration. ="font-size:small;"><big><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-da02c675-7fff-5720-b0ee-7f1b6ab3a6c5"><span styleUCU’s Strategic Plan for the Future ==="background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In UCU ́s Aligned with its '''Strategic Plan2025''', the aim is UCU commits to be fostering sustainable value creation in academia and society. The University’s priorities include becoming more '''innovative, inclusive, creative, inclusive and open to the worldglobally connected'''.&nbsp;</span></span></span></big></span></div><div><span style="font-size:small;"><big><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-da02c675-7fff-5720-b0ee-7f1b6ab3a6c5"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When students learn, the sky isn't the limit, therefore UCU is constantly reinventing so that the academic experience is enhanced. UCU is achieving that by providing day to day reinvents itself through new coursesdegree programs, careersinterdisciplinary approaches, or even a new institution (as it is and initiatives like the '''UCU Business School).&nbsp;</span></span></span></big></span></div><div><span style="font-size:small;"><big><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-da02c675-7fff-5720-b0ee-7f1b6ab3a6c5"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Every day that passes, UCU tries to be a better university, where all the stakeholders contribute to overall sustainable development''' and global partnerships.</span></span></span></big></span></div><div><br /></div>