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New creative space will serve as a launching pad for locally led innovative research and projects for social good
GUATEMALA CITY, GUATEMALA – RTI International, a nonprofit research institute and leading international development organization, joined administration leaders from the Universidad del Valle de Guatemala (UVG) on March 29 to inaugurate a new Social Innovation Lab at the university’s Center for Innovation and Technology, part of the School of Social Sciences.
UVG, one of the top institutions of higher education in Central America, has promoted innovative research and provided first-class student instruction since 1966. The new lab will serve as an open space to carry out applied research for the development, design and evaluation of evidence-based social policies. It also supports social entrepreneurship initiatives with research and project management tools.
“Innovation is at the heart of achieving a better world. It drives social progress, from healthcare, to agriculture, to opening new avenues for enterprise and employment,” said Paul Weisenfeld, executive vice president for international development at RTI. “We’re excited to support the university’s vision and align with local efforts that will foster new ideas, new technology, new knowledge, and new ways to apply knowledge among some of Guatemala’s most brilliant minds.”
“Today, we do more than just inaugurate a space; we are celebrating a long-term alliance developed years ago. Together with the Sustainable Economic Observatory (OES-UVG), we established a policy of innovation for Guatemala; we’ve focused on food security and nutrition and with RTI’s participation under this new program we are spurring a transformation of the national education system. We feel fortunate to partner with RTI and work hand-in-hand with them in these efforts,” said Roberto Moreno Godoy, president of the UVG.
The lab is one of the many alliances between RTI International and UVG over the past 15 years. The $50,000 grant for the Social Innovation Lab has supported the development of mobile tools for participatory research, project management software, sound and video equipment, a drone, and other tools to facilitate research.
For more than 35 years, RTI has provided technical assistance, institutional strengthening, program support, and research in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). In partnership with in-country institutions and the private sector, we lead and support efforts to improve:
Education
Climate Change
Water Quality
Disaster Resilience
Read more about our work in Guatemala
