The HEIComp project is inspired by the Working Life Connected (WLC) methodology, which encourages student participation in the development of solutions to real challenges in real organizations during their studies. This methodology affirms the role of students as protagonists in the process and modifies the role of teachers by turning them into “mentors”.

This methodology generates enthusiasm, but at the same time a certain fear due to the challenge of a real project and the fact that it is a new methodology for the students. However, as the project progresses, students take an active role in generating real solutions and end the project, saying that it helps them to get out of their comfort zone, to not be mere spectators, and to make the most of every minute they are in the classroom. In addition, they experience organization and reorganization, since in real life they are always exposed to radical changes in what is planned. As one of the students of the Bachelor’s Degree in Hotel Management and Tourism at the Universidad Autónoma de Encarnación (UNAE, Paraguay), Ornella Brizuela, said, “this allows us to develop qualities we did not know and thought we would not be able to develop”.

Thus, the HEIComp experience reaffirms the importance of educational projects that promote conflict resolution, job preparation, and collaboration between universities and companies. In addition, due to the temporality of the project, UNAE students had the opportunity to exchange knowledge with students and teachers from other countries, since in the phase from March 2024 to July 2024 they worked with international projects.

@heicomp project is funded #erasmusplus #capacitybuilding