The initiative, developed by the Provincial Council of Jaén, the University of Jaén within the framework of NEOLAiA, and the Estrategias Foundation, gave Bachelor’s and Master’s students the opportunity to contribute directly to territorial development planning.
Working with academic, provincial and foundation tutors, as well as experts from the participating municipalities, students analysed local needs and prepared strategic assessments for each municipality. They then presented their findings directly to local representatives and communities.
The resulting reports will support the municipalities as they develop their local urban agendas and plan future economic, social and environmental development.
Working with 11 municipalities across Jaén
The first edition of RAÍZ Jaén involved Arjona, Cazorla, La Guardia, Huelma, Jódar, Marmolejo, Mengíbar, Porcuna, Torreperogil, Torredelcampo and Los Villares.
Students carried out a diagnostic analysis for each municipality and identified local challenges, needs and development opportunities.
Each municipality hosted a public presentation where students shared the main findings of their work. The assessments now provide a basis for developing local urban agendas and can help municipalities plan future projects and identify relevant funding opportunities, including European funding.
Learning through real regional challenges
RAÍZ Jaén also gave UJA students an opportunity to apply their academic knowledge outside the classroom.
Through extracurricular internships, students worked on real local development projects and gained practical experience in areas such as strategic planning, territorial analysis and public management.
At the same time, municipalities benefited from the students’ work and the expertise provided by the university and other partners involved in the programme.
This connection between education and regional needs reflects an important part of the NEOLAiA approach: universities working together with their surrounding communities and contributing to the development of their regions.
José Ignacio Jiménez, Vice-Rector for Internationalisation at the University of Jaén, highlighted the cooperation between the different institutions involved in the programme. He explained that the initiative brought public administrations together to analyse municipal needs and develop possible strategic responses.
He also emphasised the value of the experience for students, who developed skills that can support their future professional careers.
Universities as partners in regional development
RAÍZ Jaén provides a practical example of how universities can contribute to their regions while creating meaningful learning opportunities for students.
The programme connected students, academics, municipalities, public administrations and specialised organisations around concrete local challenges. Rather than working with theoretical cases, students contributed to projects that municipalities can use in their future planning.
With its first edition now complete, RAÍZ Jaén has established a model for continued cooperation between the University of Jaén and municipalities across the province.
Through initiatives such as RAÍZ Jaén, NEOLAiA continues to strengthen connections between its universities and their regions, while giving students opportunities to develop their skills through practical experience and contribute to the communities around them.
