RETOS

The Problem

A graduate student pours an average of 300 hours into writing their thesis. However, once they graduate, their data collection, analysis, and recommendations are archived, never put to practical use. Meanwhile, rural communities confront challenges that student groups often have resources and analytical capabilities to address—but the connection is missing.

The Solution

Retos identified a real need for practitioners willing to invest time in the field researching and assessing solutions to rural challenges. The team created a web platform that connects academic and rural communities in Colombia to develop practical solutions.

Alongside the platform, Retos runs workshops to help rural Colombians formulate and post local challenges. Universities register academic teams, and a learning algorithm assigns each team a challenge. Retos also facilitates communication between participants, provides project guidance, and evaluates projects to support future collaborations.

Stats

More than 3,500 rural community representatives and university students have participated in RETOS experiences connecting academic talent to local challenges.