From 23 to 26 March, Barcelona hosted the final event of the Erasmus+ CLIMAR project (Strengthening Research, Innovation and Knowledge Transfer on Climate Change & Tourism in Higher Education Institutions in Latin America), organized by Obreal.
Three years of intensive work have resulted in more than just outcomes: a strong collaborative network among universities in Latin America and Europe, focused on tourism, climate change, and the circular economy. The consortium brought together leading institutions from both sides of the Atlantic. In Europe: Obreal, UA – Universidad de Alicante / Universitat d’Alacant, Alma Mater Studiorum – Università di Bologna, and University College Cork; and in Latin America: universities from Argentina, Mexico, Panama, and Colombia, including Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, Universidad de Quintana Roo, Universidad Anáhuac de Oaxaca, Universidad Autónoma de Chiriquí, Universidad de Panamá, Universidad de Caldas, Universidad de Cartagena (Colombia), and Universidad Nacional de Colombia, together with the Colombian Association of Universities (ASCUN).
What truly defines CLIMAR, however, is the level of commitment, technical capacity, and academic generosity of its partners. They were not merely participants: they led activities, generated applied knowledge, adapted solutions to very diverse contexts, and, above all, helped build a working community with a long-term vision.
At the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, we coordinated the project together with Domingo Verano-Tacoronte and Valentina Grasso. Knowing that this work has been positively valued by the partners is undoubtedly one of the greatest satisfactions of this journey.
We would also like to thank colleagues from our university, Yen Elízabeth Lam González, Matías González Hernández, and Carmelo J. León, who played essential roles at different stages of the project. We also acknowledge the Vice-Rectorate for Internationalization and Cooperation of the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria for the support and facilitation provided from the outset.
We also recognize the role of OBREAL, whose participation contributed to the definition and coherence of the project.
CLIMAR does not end here. The results achieved and the sustainability plan presented in Barcelona point to real continuity, with impact on research, training, and knowledge transfer in the coming years.
We also thank the European Commission for the trust placed in us.
We continue, because cooperation among all stakeholders is the key to generating real impact.