Title: Actions of university socio environmental responsibility

Authors: Soraya Giovanetti El-Deir; Gerlane Dantas Da Silva; Arthur Lopes Jacob

Addresses: Rural Technology Department, Federal Rural University of Pernambuco, Rua Dom Manoel de Medeiros, 2nd Andar, sala 13B, Bairro Dois Irmãos, 52171-900, Recife – PE, Brazil. ' Rural Technology Department, Federal Rural University of Pernambuco, Rua Dom Manoel de Medeiros, 2nd Andar, sala 13B, Bairro Dois Irmãos, 52171-900, Recife – PE, Brazil. ' Rural Technology Department, Federal Rural University of Pernambuco, Rua Dom Manoel de Medeiros, 2nd Andar, sala 13B, Bairro Dois Irmãos, 52171-900, Recife – PE, Brazil

Abstract: University socio-environmental responsibility is the manner through which universities relate with the environment and its stakeholders. The Gampe Group developed three distinct actions: Solidary Easter, Reading and Christmas. The projects were based on a research-action methodology as this community had been the focus of several research and extension projects. This initiative represents a mutual gain for the university and the society, since it humanises the teaching-learning process, boosts the social engagement of the student, generates a greater articulation with many segments of the society, and contextualises the academic knowledge. The communities of the semi-arid in Pernambuco are characterised as places with the lowest human development index in Brazil. The Gampe Group have been developing projects and actions which can empower this community in the endogenous processes of local development. In this sense, the present study aims to report the USR actions and to discuss the results stemming from those activities.

Keywords: environmental responsibility; university extension; rural areas; poverty; social responsibility; universities; action research; semi-arid regions; community empowerment; regional development; teaching-learning process; social engagement; academic knowledge.

DOI: 10.1504/IJESD.2012.050461

International Journal of Environment and Sustainable Development, 2012 Vol.11 No.3, pp.249 - 257

Published online: 30 Aug 2014 *

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