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If each of us becomes an agent of change, we can improve society—and by a lot. Driven by that idea, we hosted this event this year. of the in-person week of SFERA Experience 2025, the international program of social innovation and entrepreneurship created by the Camilo José Cela University of Madrid.
Part 2From July 8th to August 1st, we received at the Faculty of Communication of the Universidad Austral The fifth edition of the meeting brought together students, recent graduates and professors from 14 countries and 16 universities in the region.
The choice was not random: it was thanks to last year's winning team, made up of our FC graduates from the Bachelor of Design program. Martina Mirazón, Felicitas Rogers, Inés Carrique y Margarita Sans Cané; who were accompanied by Professor FC Guillermina FernandezFrom the Entrepreneurship chair. On this occasion, Guillermina, Felicitas, and Margarita were role models and worked alongside the SFERA team made up of Paola Arjona e Ignacio Sell in the organization of the meeting.
For this year's participants, the objective was challenging: to develop a high-impact social enterprise focused on SDG 7 (sustainable energy) and/or SDG 13 (climate action). The result? Four months of training culminating in five days of intensive workshops, collaborative work, cultural exchange, and a commitment to social change.
Day to day
The event began at our Pilar Campus, in the Auditorium of the Olivo Building, with an opening ceremony presided over by the rector Julian Rodriguez, the dean of the Faculty of Communication Marcela Pizarro, and the coordinator of SFERA Experience Ignacio Sell.
The event was also attended by academic authorities and representatives of various nationalities. The ambassador of the Dominican Republic was present. Jorge Mars, the commercial advisor of the Dominican Republic Candy Rosario, the advisor from Portugal Dr. Francisco de Calheiros e Menezes, the ambassador of Ecuador Diana Salazar Méndez and the ambassador of Costa Rica Alex Rojas Guido.
The opening ceremony continued with a conference on sustainability led by Veronica Torres, the University's Sustainability Manager, a thematic block on Sustainable Development Goals moderated by Raquel Arizaand a presentation of the University's educational ecosystem by Esteban PittaroAcademic Secretary
During the week, training blocks led by FC professors were developed: Majo Müller e Iñaki Arredondo They offered the workshop on storytelling & pitch; The guests Christopher Papendieck y Martín Thickets They proposed a space for networking with the Lego Serious Play methodology; Florencia González Venzano y Lucia Carboni coordinated a masterclass on intellectual virtues; María Sánchez He gave a workshop on the methodology D.Ex.I; Majo Murcia (IAE Business School) led the social innovation block; the SFERA Experience alumni Valeria Montalvo He gave the talk From idea to global impact and Maynor Andrés Rodriguez gave the lecture Sustainability in action: from strategy to success in Coopeagropal RL
Wednesday was dedicated to cultural immersion in the city of Buenos Aires, with a guided tour of the city center and the La Boca neighborhood in San Telmo, which allowed the students to get to know the historical, artistic and architectural richness of the Argentine capital up close.
As a closing event, on Friday, August 1st, the teams shared their projects with an international jury. The winning proposal was Kawsana, from the San Francisco University of Quito, a team made up of Gabriela Falconí Jaramillo, Wendy Marylin Tituaña Picuasi, Alejandra Grandes Carrera, Sahara Samia Quishpe Contento y Diana Katherine Salazar Montenegrowho were awarded with a training scholarship at UCJC in Madrid.
Thus we conclude SFERA Experience, an unforgettable week of innovation, learning and collaboration at our Faculty. To the participants, teachers, and teams who received, guided, shared, and facilitated this international proposal with real impact: thank you very much!
