Bases for its foundation

The Strategic Plan of the Executive Board of the National University of La Plata for the 2010 – 2014 period -aimed to enhance the development of the internationalization of our University-, defines the strategic goal of the "creation and launching of an International Cooperation Agency within the University.”
The purpose of the Agency is that the University becomes the main stakeholder in the different actions and programs that lead to the development and improvement of the community’s life conditions so that they have a positive impact on human development and integration of the peoples.
The Agency shall promote actions in thematic areas related to social development in health and education; the strengthening of civil society and environment care; promotion, development and support to small and medium-sized companies; knowledge transfer; the boost to exports and productive development. These actions will be performed in order to achieve significant improvements in community life conditions.
The International Cooperation Agency must become a suitable instrument for the the National University of La Plata in order to articulate and conduct efforts, and to take advantage of the experience and knowledge obtained and developed as a result of field interventions. The financing available will be used for this particular type of actions of cooperation for development.
The tradition of our University gives evidence of its strong commitment with the development and improvement of life conditions in all social aspects. This directive concept shows that it is essential to deepen the leadership of our University as a real cooperation agent, intensifying its collaboration through programs that allow the improvement of its role as promoter of development in different action areas.
We are convinced that the international cooperation actions will produce a synergic effect inside the University, quantitatively and qualitatively promoting the development of knowledge and research being performed, as a result of a higher commitment, a more fluid communication and practical actions with different societies, emphasizing the cultural change in which we are all immersed.

What we understand for international cooperation

The National University of La Plata understands international cooperation as an intentionally wide and opportunity-receptive concept to share knowledge and experiences, to promote the exchange of knowledge and the mutual strengthening of abilities. The objective is to reach self-sufficiency; to boost institutional and regulatory cooperation and movements of economic-regional integration (South Common Market -known as MERCOSUR-, Union of South American Nations -known as UNASUR-, Latin American Integration Association -known as ALADI-, Central American Common Market (MCCA), Caribbean Community –known as CARICOM-, etc.).
In view of the foregoing, we understand that international cooperation is a process of mutual transfer and enrichment which must necessarily create a value appreciated by all the stakeholders and sectors involved in the cooperation actions, and which tends to contribute with the solution to the problems of a certain area.
These actions –which employ different modalities- lead to the improvement of life conditions. Depending on the case, we name them under the figure of bilateral, multilateral and decentralized cooperation. From a different perspective, we can mention the vertical cooperation (north-south) from a developed to a developing country; the horizontal cooperation, which occurs among countries in similar stages of development; the technical cooperation, the South-South Cooperation, and the triangular cooperation, which involves a third country or international entity between two developing countries. The international entities (the United Nations, mainly) promote the South-South Cooperation (SSC) (Latin American and the Caribbean Economic System).
Since cooperation actions are drawn up and implemented by means of cooperation projects, we adopt the definition of the Spanish Agency for International Cooperation: "The Development Cooperation Project consists of a group of actions designed to achieve a specific goal of development in a certain period, a specific country and for a pre-defined beneficiary population. Its effects must last even once its implementation has been completed".