OPEN UNIVERSITY OF CATALONIA (UOC) – Spain

The Open University of Catalonia (UOC) is a global university and a digital native with a mandate for public service. We assume that online training reduces inequalities and contributes to strengthening all territories and societies.

Especially committed to the social impact of its activity, the UOC has embarked on a strategy to contribute and cooperate with rural areas to respond to their current challenges at a local and international level. It is based on community empowerment and is inspired by a long-term vision for rural areas in the EU.

To this end, it has created the UOC Rural Network, a space for co-creation and knowledge transfer aimed at promoting positive transformation processes in contemporary rural spaces, organized with participatory governance, favouring the inclusion of diverse visions, voices and perspectives.

The commitment of the UOC Rural Network focuses on reducing territorial and social gaps, especially gender inequalities, while promoting the circumstances and scenarios in which the rural fact can become a transformative value. The UOC contributes to this challenge by generating knowledge in areas such as rural digital connectivity, e-health, agroecology, tourism, gender systems, culture and artistic production, and gastronomy and food culture.

The UOC is also part of the Coordination group of The Rural Pact, which includes up to 30 members who, over a three-year mandate, will actively shape the activities carried out within the framework of the Pact and propose ways to amplify voices in rural areas, promote mutual learning and actions for rural areas.
Since its creation, the UOC has been committed to quality, to achieve excellence in educational services, in training activity and in organizational processes, guaranteeing the academic rigor of its programs.

Hence, it is a perfect partner to maximize the impact of the projects presented under the INTERREG EURO MED calls; through research and transfer, with special interest in involving citizens in innovation processes; linking issues of rurality and entrepreneurship; and even sustainable tourism in rural environments.