- The partnership establishes a framework for academic, technical, and scientific collaboration to develop joint projects, the creation of a Living Laboratory, and the exchange of knowledge.
The United World College Costa Rica Foundation (UWC Costa Rica) and EARTH University have signed a framework cooperation agreement for institutional cooperation that aims to develop joint technical, scientific, academic, research, and university outreach initiatives, strengthening institutional ties that promote academic, environmental, and social development.
This partnership highlights the importance of inter-institutional collaboration in education to enhance the impact of teaching and knowledge generation.
Through this collaboration, both institutions are bringing together their expertise and capabilities to implement programs, projects, and activities that promote applied learning and engagement with the broader community.
Mauricio Viales, Founding Director of UWC Costa Rica, explains: “This framework agreement reaffirms the strategic value of institutional partnerships in education by enabling us to join forces in the technical, scientific, and academic fields. Mutual collaboration strengthens educational processes and applied research while creating spaces for exchange that advance the academic, environmental, and social development of our communities.”
“EARTH and UWC share a vision of education that seeks to go beyond the classroom and prepare young leaders to address real-world challenges. We are pleased to join forces through this collaboration so that students can learn by doing, strengthen their scientific and technological knowledge, and, above all, develop the capabilities they need to transform their communities,” shares Arturo Condo, President of EARTH University.
Scope of the Agreement
The institutions will collaborate on a pilot program with the International Baccalaureate Program focused on transforming food systems through the Systems Transformation Pathway, which promotes active participation, academic exchange, and student and faculty exchange.
The agreement also provides for the development of a bioproduction and sustainability space, conceived as an Environmental Classroom and Living Laboratory (Living Lab). This space will host Internships for EARTH students, provide technical consulting services in soil management and regeneration, and support applied sustainability research.
The agreement also includes a forum for mutual advising (Thought Partnership) and knowledge transfer to support the design, development, and management of UWC Costa Rica’s new campus in areas including landscaping, security, student affairs, and sustainable operations.
In addition, the cooperation framework opens the door to exploring joint academic programs, microcredentials, international mobility programs, and community outreach projects through UWC Costa Rica’s Sustainability & Innovation Center.
All specific cooperation and teaching activities undertaken by the parties will be determined in subsequent agreements, which will define the operational approach, timelines, financial considerations, objectives, and expected deliverables.
Finally, Viales concludes: “Signing strategic partnerships of this kind demonstrates that the future of education depends on institutions’ ability to collaborate, share knowledge, and build solutions together. Beyond a formal agreement, this partnership reflects the conviction that collaboration among educational institutions is the most effective way to create real impact, prepare future generations for global challenges, and turn learning into concrete actions that benefit society.”
