The objective of this space is to provide the necessary dynamics to facilitate the development of universities in terms of teaching, research and service to society

2.1    Collaborative Doctoral Programs and Research Incubators (CDPRI).

The Inter-American Organization for Higher Education (IOHE) and its CAMPUS program have experienced the importance of working on the development of Collaborative Doctoral Programs and Research Incubators (CDPRI), that is, through the creation of both physical and virtual spaces of convergence among universities. This ongoing initiative aims to promote a deeper reflection on the importance of research training, namely that which is geared towards scientific development in Latin America and the Caribbean.

What are CDPRI?

CDPRI can be defined as flexible joint doctoral programs that connect developed universities (or those located in the developed world) with their potential partners in the south (mostly developing nations). In this doctoral program model, students do not have to remain at their home university throughout the entire doctoral training process, but instead they can spend time abroad acquiring new knowledge, skills and experience.

The training of professors in these doctoral programs is achieved via inter-university collaboration projects, namely those which enable doctoral students to develop lines of research which are based within a local context, but have a global vision and also international support.
In order to implement the CDPRI, it is essential for universities to have the full commitment of their professors. Also, there should be an internal policy of creating research incubators at the higher education institutions. What’s more, the research incubators should be seen as a natural environment for professors to carry out their academic work. As a result of the CDPRI initiative, there is a greater rate of return of professors to their home countries and also a reduction in the brain drain effect.

Participants:

Three key actors participate in this process:

• High-level provider universities with a recognized trajectory and that have an interest in developing doctoral programs in the collaborative doctoral mode.
• Client universities (Ecuadorian), which are committed to the training of their professors in collaborative doctoral programs and supporting the consolidation of research incubators.
• Support agencies, such as higher education bodies, and public or private institutions, which, from their own field of action may facilitate, finance and/or accredit this process. 

Results of  the CDPRI Programs:

An increase in the critical mass of universities (greater number of researchers)

• Effective linking of research incubators with departments or laboratories from developed universities where professors from both universities work collaboratively and jointly publish materials.
• Training of scientific social networks
• Flexible doctoral training models

Funding:

There are various types of funding available:

• Self- funding from each university
• Funding obtained from  subsidies from provider universities
• Co-financing from support entities
• Financing from the state and other support entities

 The First CDPRI Meeting:

The IOHE and UTPL jointly organized the First Meeting on Collaborative Doctoral Programs and Research Incubators, which was held at the Private Technical University of Loja (UTPL), Ecuador, from 10-12 June 2008. The event convened more than a hundred representatives from 63 institutions, 18 countries and three continents.

 The Second CDPRI Meeting:

The IOHE, its CAMPUS program and the Inter-American University of Puerto Rico jointly held the Second Meeting on Collaborative Doctoral Programs and Research Incubators. This event took place at the Metropolitan and Ponce District of San Juan on September 29, 30 and October 1, 2010. Sixty people from thirty-six institutions and twelve countries (from both the Americas and Europe) attended the second CDPRI meeting.

Collaborative Doctoral Programs and Research Incubators Forum

 The CDPRI forum is a virtual platform that was created with the objective of providing a space for reflection, the sharing of information, and the collation of data on the demands and offers of collaborative doctoral programs. The forum aims to be easy to use and accessible for higher education institutions. In sum, the CDPRI forum seeks to provide a unique alternative for the development of science and research in the LAC region.

2.2    Innovation Space: The Inter-American Network of Collaboration and Science and Technology Parks: (RIAC-Pct).

2.3    Knowledge Management

2.3.1 Knowledge Management-Knowledge

Knowledge is the most important asset of any organization. It is the only resource that is capable of generating innovation. Based on this theory, we can deduce that knowledge management is an essential function. 

CAMPUS aims to capitalize on and maximize the potential of knowledge that is created by both people and organizations, i.e. with the aim of learning best practices, successful case studies, and experiences.

2.3.2    Knowledge Management - APPLICATION

Taking into consideration the intensive usage of new technologies, Open Educational Resources, Creative Commons Licenses and other technological applications, we could summarize by saying that the KM initiative enables CAMPUS to maximize the scope of IOHE actions among its members and partner institutions.

IOHE Portal: http://www.oui-iohe.org/