UPC Social Responsibility

At Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas (UPC), we address sustainability as the management of the social, environmental, and economic aspects of the operation in the exercise of the three dimensions of our mission (teaching and learning; research and generation of knowledge; and community outreach) over their several stakeholders, aiming at the generation of value for them by means of networking that consider their expectations and needs.

The concept of University Social Responsibility is included in this approach, understanding it as a cross-cutting management to our educational proposal, as well to the research policies and social outreach. In this way we contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals by ensuring the education of future professionals fully aware of their impact on society and on the construction of a fairer, inclusive, and environmentally responsible country and planet.

Our policy is guided by three principles on which we develop our sustainability strategy:

Principle 1: Contribution to the education of socially responsible young people

We train professionals with full sense of social responsibility that will generate positive impacts in favor of the country. Therefore, we focus on the development of personal competencies that promote a spirit of service from their future roles as professionals.

Principle 2: Sustainable management of the impacts on stakeholder

We manage the expectations of our stakeholders, as well as the impacts of the educational operation on them, at the social, economic, and environmental levels. In this way, we acknowledge the importance of keeping an open communication in order to build positive, long-term relationships.

Principle 3: Innovation for Sustainable Development Approach

For UPC, innovation is a powerful vehicle for transformation that contributes to enriching changes in society. Therefore, this vision is reflected in academic training, research, and community outreach, as well as in the sustainable organizational management.

We also have three institutional commitments:

A. Commitment to diversity and inclusion

Diversity is the basis of innovation, enriching the educational process by demanding flexibility and openness to incorporate diverse views into common projects. From the respectful exchange among different viewpoints people get inspired to find innovative and efficient solutions to meet the challenges of the country and the planet.

B. Commitment to environmentally sustainable management

We are committed to the care and protection of the environment; therefore, we implement sustainable and responsible management of our operations, focused on the pursuit of eco-efficiency and the fight against climate change.

C. Commitment to the promotion of voluntary work as a vehicle for training socially responsible leaders

Institutional voluntary work is of prime importance in the education of young university students, as well as a space for awareness and contribution to their stakeholders.

See Sustainability and University Social Responsibility

SUSTAINABILY LINES OF ACTION

1. QUALITY EDUCATION FOR ALL

We are committed, from our mission, to providing quality education that is also diverse and inclusive, training professionals with a social responsibility approach to transform their environment and contribute to the construction of a sustainable Peru.

International Congress of Educators

In 2021, the 19th edition of the International Congress of Educators was held. It presented the latest trends in educational innovation for discussion, understanding and subsequent application in the classroom.

• + 12,200 participants trained until the 2021 edition
• + 1,800 participants in the 2021 edition
• + 400 professors awarded with a scholarship in the 19th edition

Attention to Diversity and Inclusion Program (PADI)

We facilitate the adjustment to university life for students, offering them psychological and academic support. We also serve the needs of our students with physical, intellectual, sensory, and mental disabilities, training our teachers to improve their knowledge of the characteristics of the disability of each student in charge, and to adapt their classes and materials as required.

2. GREEN CAMPUS

We are committed to providing our students with environmentally responsible campuses and environmental education spaces to fight climate change. Since 2020, we hold the international ISO 14001 certification in all our sites and processes. We are only university with such certification.

Ecoefficiency

We have environmental management guidelines to make efficient use or consumption of resources, prevent environmental pollution and/or depletion of natural resources. In 2019 we measured our institutional carbon footprint for the first time across all our campuses, laying the foundation for our future strategies to fight climate change.

Interuniversity Environmental Network

We are part of the Inter-University Environmental Network – Interuniversia Peru (RAI), comprising public and private universities, which promotes the integration of the environmental dimension in all the universities in the country, as a way of contributing sustainably to national environmental management and policy. It is promoted and facilitated by MINAM-DGECCA and is composed of 75 universities from 26 regions of the country, for the promotion of university communities with an ethical and environmental perspective.

• Solid Waste Management

  We raise awareness and sensitize our university community concerning responsible solid waste segregation. We have segregation bins for paper, plastic and glass waste, which is given to social organizations that reuse it for the benefit of vulnerable populations.

• Energy Management

  We have specialized software in energy consumption control that generates a real-time report, identifying the sources of major consumption in order to be capable of implementing corrective and control measures.

  We are standardizing LED lightning at the campuses to save electricity and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. We also have electrical sensors in our parking lots at Villa Campus.

  We have solar panels that heat our swimming pool at Villa Campus.

• Water Resources Management

  Our campuses have water-efficient technology faucets and waterless urinals that allow reducing 40 % of water consumption. In addition, we monitor our effluents to confirm that we comply with the Maximum Permissible Limits established by the current regulations.

• Sustainable Transportation

  We have four buses with a NGV system that are available for students, faculty, and administrative staff to go from one campus to another. In this way, we reduce indirect CO2 emissions and provide a safe means of transportation for the university community, in view of Lima's traffic problems.

3. INNOVATION FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Innovation is part of our institutional DNA, and the way we understand positive transformation generated. We believe that by promoting innovation we will find better solutions to the biggest challenges faced by our country and the planet, to ensure sustainable development.

• Protagonistas del Cambio UPC

  In 2021 UPC, the 11th edition of the Protagonistas del Cambio Program was carried out. It acknowledges the leadership and innovative spirit of young social entrepreneurs who in Peru are presenting solutions for different social problems in the country.

  • 110 award-winning social entrepreneurs
  • +1 million beneficiaries at a national level
  • +20 external juries from different organizations
  • +30 UPC internal juries
  • +200 Projects participated in the process in 2021

• Creatividad Empresarial Award

  For 25 years, the Creatividad Empresarial Award has been promoting the development of a continuous creativity and innovation culture that has been maintained over time. This award recognizes innovative products, services, processes, or strategies that have achieved an important impact on the generation of value within their organizations, businesses, or institutions.

  • 567 awards
  • +6,760 nominations presented
  • +3,160 participating companies and institutions

SUSTAINABILITY AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AWARDS

Our responsible management has been recognized by important national and international organizations, showing our commitment to our country's sustainable development and transformation.

Socially Responsible Company Trademark

In 2020, for the fourth consecutive year, we obtained the Socially Responsible Company Trademark, awarded by Perú 2021 and the Mexican Center for Philanthropy (CEMEFI, in Spanish) to companies that stand out in relation to corporate social responsibility and seek to strengthen a culture aligned with their stakeholders' sustainable management.