Скачать или смотреть 3. IFCU - XXVIII GENERAL ASSEMBLY - Collaboration between Catholic universities, businesses, and...

Tuesday 29 July, 2025

Collaboration between Catholic universities, businesses, and government: key to sustainable educational innovation

As part of the second day of activities at the international event organized by the International
Federation of Catholic Universities (IFCU) and the Universidad del Valle de Atemajac (UNIVA),
a day focused on dialogue, learning, and innovation was held.

Under the theme “The Catholic University of Enterprise and Innovation: Building Synergies for
Educational and Social Impact”, the learning sessions highlighted how collaboration between
universities, businesses, and government can lead to meaningful and sustainable educational
outcomes.

On behalf of UNIVA and IFCU, special thanks were extended to the Jalisco State Secretariat for
Innovation, Science, and Technology (SICYT) for their valuable support in making this shared
learning experience possible.

The day began with a presentation by Mtra. Fanny Guadalupe Valdivia Márquez, Deputy Secretary
of Education at SICYT Jalisco, who emphasized the importance of institutional support in educational innovation processes and the proactive role of universities in this area.

Following this, Dr. Mariella José Castro Estrada, Head of Strategic Alliances and Institutional
Communication at UNIVA Guadalajara, presented the FARO Project, a government-university linkage
initiative aimed at strengthening innovation in the state of Jalisco—an outstanding example of
effective inter-institutional collaboration.

A testimonial was shared by Ángel Román González, alumnus and founding director of Augem
Technologies, who spoke about how a university-business partnership was key to his education and
entrepreneurial journey.

The event concluded with a panel discussion titled “How can collaboration between universities,
companies, and innovation be strengthened to create lasting educational impact?”, moderated
by Dr. Teresa Quintana, Coordinator of Innovation and Entrepreneurship Management at SICYT.
Distinguished representatives from the business, education, and government sectors took part:

• Dr. Ericka Flores, director of Valmex México, offered the business sector’s perspective on
innovation with an ethical and equitable focus.
• Dr. Yadira Robles Irazoki, director of UNIVA Guadalajara, reflected on the role of Catholic
universities as generators of knowledge with social responsibility.
• M.A. Nora Martín Galindo, director of Innovation and Entrepreneurship at SICYT, shared
the government of Jalisco’s strategies and policies aimed at fostering an open and inclusive
innovation ecosystem.

After a Q&A session with the audience, the formal closing of the day took place, with appreciation
extended to all speakers, moderator, authorities, and attendees.

This second day of activities reaffirms the commitment of Catholic universities to strengthening
collaborative networks that drive educational innovation and social development, in line with the
values promoted by IFCU.

Further information: https://landing.univa.mx/28-asamblea-...