Universidad Tecnológica de El Salvador (UTEC) is the only entity in the country which is part of the URDIMBRE community. Ms. Blanca Ruth Orantes, research director of the institution, explains all the advantages that have been found to be part of one of the communities that were supported by COMCLARA 2010. UTEC is member of Red Avanzada de Investigación, Ciencia y Educación Salvadoreña (RAICES), member from RedCLARA.

How did the Universidad Tecnológica de El Salvador to become more involved with RedCLARA?

The UTEC in their projections wants to transcend the roles that the law sends and inserted in the process of internationalization. There are some programs that support the mobility of teachers, administrators and students. I visited Puebla, where it was the 6th. Meeting of researchers of the Latin American and found many people from Colombia, Mexico, Chile and other countries. We set out on our various systems, and concurred that we are pushing the research, but also had a model that went beyond doing research and that meant that not only impact on the environment, which was the meeting of the problems and needs, but also strengthen the educational process. In Colombia and other countries already had some experience about it and it is no longer called academic research but formative research. There are no theories on that basis that we do not find in Spain or the United States. With enthusiasm, the end of the meeting, we made a promise to make an alliance and seek support, comes the opportunity to network among ourselves. We made an alliance to participate in COMCLARA 2010, and a network of research and education ( URDIMBRE) was created, which is a formative research community. This was selected by COMCLARA.

Who are its members?
We are 13 universities in the network, in several countries. We worked on some projects, we already have a virtual site called University School of researchers at the University, we want to do online courses.

But this does not arise as part of the community?
No, this is an initiative of the University. But we have received many benefits of this community. Parallel to that we were selected in COMCLARA, have received training, we have video and we did a project called Formative Research Project, which already have the design. Politecnico Gran Colombiano is on advanced in that area and we are supporting.

What are the benefits received belong to URDIMBRE?
First nurture the knowledge and experiences of other universities, which are transmitted via videoconferencing or chat through the advanced networks, with the support of RAICES. This has increased not only for researchers but also for teachers. We have even had the occasional visit of authority to the conference.

Have you had opportunity to engage in new projects?
Yes, the same community have participated in some projects, you know that perhaps not all are sometimes selected, but it is an experience. We have also been invited to participate in other research projects and have also received training completely free. The training has been very good quality and relevant in areas where we needed to prepare.
Thanks to URDIMBRE, universities that are part of the network to participate in international projects. Right now we have 7 projects pushed and 3 in the contest. European Union projects, for example. Indeed Don Bosco University in El Salvador, and also are benefiting.

Have you spend some extra financial resources because your participation in the community?

Not at all, and one feels very encouraged by that, because in countries like ours, sometimes everything is about money. In this case is just to take advantage of everything we offer and are quality projects, everything is completely free. The universities pay the fee, but there are many who pay and not take advantage. We do are feeling the benefits.

How many people are benefiting at the moment?
They are perhaps 25 people.

What projects are in the context of the URDIMBRE community for the future?
We are working on the possibility of a degree in Formative Research, Latin American level. The aim is to promote research as a cornerstone of the development of a country. The idea is make this training between Colombia and El Salvador.

What do you like the new portal RedCLARA?
Cool. I find it very interesting, has agility, has the necessary resources, a minor fault level and completely free access 24 hours. There are many resources and links to take advantage of that interest us universities, as link with international organizations, that at times if you enter the site of the body is more complex and there is exactly what we want.