The project aims to address the urgent need to re-think macroeconomic policies, tools, and models, to overcome the combination of slow growth, mounting foreign debts and financial instability that characterized Latin America. The recent social tensions in the continent constitute an alarm bell and the need to move macroeconomic policies in the direction of justice and inclusive growth is increasingly recognized. The central idea of the project “MAcroeconomics for Justice and Inclusive Growth” is to contribute to this task by using the already existing capacities in the Latin American universities belonging to the consortium, and strengthening them with the help of some world leading experts in the field of macroeconomic modelling working with the European universities of the consortium. The project aims at fostering research capacities in the field of development macroeconomics in the LA HEIs. Emphasis will be given on building macroeconomic models to evaluate the potential impact of macroeconomic policies for justice, sustainable development and inclusive growth, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals adopted by the international community. Sustainability is to be understood as social, financial and environmental. After severe world crisis of 2007-2009, economists worldwide recognized the importance of macroeconomic modelling to define the development trajectory of any given economy and its social, financial and environmental features. The so-called Stock-Flow models have proven to be the more palatable alternative emerging. With economic modelling and forecasting being increasingly requested for sustainable development and policy making, MAJIG intends to respond to the necessary to shape a figure able to address today’s policy and market needs promptly. The project will be pivotal for the effective upskilling and reskilling of competences, according to today’s job market’s needs and requests, boosting employability and response to development challenges.

In the EU-BEGP project nine universities in Latin America (Bolivia, Ecuador, Guatemala, Peru) will collaborate with two universities in EU (France, Spain) towards modernisation of courses and programs in the energy sector, with emphasis upon circular economy towards energy sustainability. The collaboration is inspired by two earlier successful Erasmus+ CBHE projects. It will re-use both the framework and learning material developed from these projects while developing and implementing specific new courses and programs adapted for the local conditions in the partner countries. More specifically it will significantly enhance capacity building on an educator-to-educator basis towards a significant modernisation of energy curriculum in the partner countries. The project will contribute on the paradigm shift towards global-but-local student-centred education in a digital and online learning environment.The EU-BGEP project will allow collaborative creation of learning material to create/update programs and courses, which includes a baseline of 3 Master programs, 1 “Diplomado” program, 3 expert courses, 15 courses, and 7 short courses, with more than 1000 expected students to be trained at the end of the project in all the partner countries. Furthermore, 10 remote labs will be implemented, enabling real experimental experience to students in remote areas, and 10 entrepreneurial challenges will be run in collaboration with local industries, thus contributing to the employability of young professionals. A specific Quality Improvement Process, with transnational and global peer review, will be implemented throughout all the learning resources, ranging from individual modules through courses and full programs.A significant strength of the EU-BEGP project is that it is part of an intended global collaboration of online digital learning resources, courses, and programs in the energy sector (the “EXPLORE Energy Digital Academy”). All material developed will be included in this framework and the EU-BEGP consortium will have full access to all the already existing, and to be developed, high-quality material. Such global collaboration takes this Erasmus+ CBHE project to a higher level by projects building upon each other, strongly increasing the impact far beyond what an isolated CBHE project would reach.

The renowned European hydropower industry and its know-how can foster the transition into a more sustainable energy system in parts of the world that still need support to develop the sector. While the European hydropower market does not allow huge developments, some countries present a big potential. HYPOSO will provide strategic support and tools for the European hydropower industry to boost their export of products and services to markets in Africa and Latin America, especially those with a high market potential hydro sector, i.e. Bolivia, Cameroon, Columbia, Ecuador and Uganda. The project will develop solutions which can be easily implemented for overcoming barriers to the broad deployment of hydropower solutions in these export markets. The consortium will bring representatives of the European hydropower industry together with their counterparts and politicians from Africa and Latin America. It will provide political, legal, technical and strategic advice while considering the regional specificities, socio-economic, spatial and environmental aspects all along the life-cycle of hydropower projects. Experts of the consortium will identify pilot hydropower projects and provide capacity building for local stakeholders and politicians. Communications activities such as brochures, events, and workshops highlighting European state-of-the-art technology will complement these measures. Moreover, a website will be created. It will serve as an information hub for the European hydropower industry and useful source of information for hydropower stakeholders worldwide. The outcome of the HYPOSO project will contribute to the promotion of the European hydropower industry, paving the way for better investment conditions in the targeted countries and increasing the share of renewable energy in these regions. It will support the development of policies, market supports and financial frameworks at the local, national and regional level for hydropower facilities.