Our student José Antonio Merino from Communication Sciences is participating in a "Work-Camp" on the west coast of Iceland, an experience that will allow them to develop a global vision, personal and professional skills, within a multicultural environment.
Chosen as Winner in the "Hands for the World 20-21" Program issued by the State Government Congratulations!
"What we are doing is cleaning up the coasts of West Iceland in a community called Brú, we use a waste separation method in which each of the waste found is recorded, sent for recycling and the marine species we find in the Atlantic are conserved, the program is run by Worldwide FriendsThe program is run by Worldwide Friends, with volunteers from all over the world, right now we are from Mexico (me), Slovakia, France, Guatemala, Germany, Austria and Scotland. It is a beautiful experience on which I will base much of my knowledge and that is leaving me a great learning and memories for a lifetime."
The University of Celaya in collaboration with the Government of the State of Guanajuato and the Association of Producers of Cajeta de Celaya, seek the declaration "Geographic Indicator of the Cajeta de Celaya" in order to give recognition and protection at national and international level of a product that gives us identity, for the benefit of producers and consumers. Why carry out this process? Because Cajeta de Celaya is linked to cultural, traditional and historical factors, the result of processes and traditional knowledge transmitted from generation to generation by a community of a particular region, that is why it can be considered as intellectual property.
In this process, the University of Celaya conducted the technical study with feedback from cajeta producers, historians and photographs taken by the Guanajuato state government and drafted the rules for the use of cajeta production. The study describes:
a) The historical, traditional and generation-to-generation approach to the production of cajeta.
b) The production approach: ingredients, blending, family business, "at the cajeta point" and elements such as the copper ladle and the wooden spoon (which gives a particular flavor to the cajeta).
c) Photographic evidenceThe cajeta producers were already constituted as an A.C. and in 2018 the protection of geographical indicators was added.
The holder of the geographical indication of "Cajeta de Celaya" is the Mexican State certified through IMPI. The reputation of a geographical indication is an intangible collective good. "Cajeta de Celaya" would be named to any produced within the geographical indication zone and complying with the established rules of use.
The importance lies in the fact that if it is not protected, it could be used without restrictions, its value would diminish and it would eventually be lost, besides, protection is not only local, regional or national, but international, through trade agreements. Europe, for example, requested Mexico to protect 350 geographical indicators (Spain alone has more than 60), as did the USA and the World Trade Organization (WTO), among others.
In Mexico there are only 18 appellations of origin and 13 or 14 geographical indicators. The advantages of this declaration are the protection of the product, which by having a geographical indicator becomes worth twice the price, because the consumer pays for the guarantee of origin, since for any producer of cajeta to sell it as "CAJETA DE CELAYA" would have to:
a) Obtain a certificate issued by La Uni de Celaya (who made the technical study) and
b) Obtain authorization from IMPI confirming that its production process complies with the rules of use registered with the geographical indicator, the relationship between the product, the quality and the place on which the protection is based prevents its transmission to producers outside the demarcated region.
This whole process also ensures quality because producers are less tempted to substitute traditional procedures for possibly less expensive ones, and it also encourages economic development based on traditional knowledge.
Obtaining protection of a geographical indication will also prevent the registration of the indication as a trademark by a third party, avoiding the risk of "Cajeta de Celaya" becoming a generic name.
With this, the University of Celaya consolidates its performance as an institution committed to the development, culture, history and future of our city.
The linkage with the productive sector through projects framed in the institutional Business Linking Program where our students, guided by their professors, work on real projects to propose solutions to community needs, is just one way in which the University of Celaya collaborates with the progress of the country and develops professional and leadership skills in students.
This Monday, August 9, 2021 in the municipality of Comonfort, Pueblo Magico, Governor Diego Sinhué Rodríguez recognized the efforts of the Institution and the academic community during the official presentation of the Title and Logo of the Collective Trademark "MCG Molcajetes de Comonfort, Guanajuato", This project was managed by Karime Velázquez Rico, now a law graduate, and contributes to the positioning of Guanajuato as a productive entity and a national reference in Industrial Property, adding with this 10 collective trademarks that boost the competitiveness of MSMEs.
The action consisted in the incorporation of a group of master craftsmen who design and produce traditional molcajetes of andesitic basalt from Comonfort as a commercial company and, once this requirement was fulfilled, in November 2019 the registration of the collective trademark was obtained before the Mexican Institute of Industrial Property (IMPI) in the city of León.
This work is in addition to many other activities that have been carried out by different areas of the University with various associations of artisans in our state where they have been supported in the development of websites, corporate image, digital catalogs, access to global portals for online sales, promotion and regional and national projection, among others, thus reinforcing the institutional commitment as a learning community in generating opportunities for a more prosperous Mexico.
The University of Celaya, in strategic alliance with the Secretary of Sustainable Economic Development of the State, is conducting the introductory course Sustainability, Corporate Responsibility and Environmental Policies within the Program for Sustainable Industrial Development with the objective of training decision makers in the Bajio region to develop, participate, implement and evaluate actions that benefit our environment but also generate jobs and wealth in our state.
Consistent with its mission, the University of Celaya joins programs with a high impact social focus through which the educational community can establish valuable relationships with agents of change in the region such as the Center for Economic Research and Teaching (CIDE), the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung Foundation (KAS) and the Association for Sustainable Industrial Development Germany - Pacific Alliance PAGSID to develop academic projects linked to issues of the 2030 agenda, climate change, biodiversity, corporate responsibility and related topics.
The University of Celaya, as the epicenter of this collaboration of high-impact projects, presented last Friday, July 16, the certificates of participation to the people who will serve as examples and agents of change in this project of transformation of Guanajuato to reduce the problems related to climate change.
In the social area, the University of Celaya, through the results of programs such as: Service Learning, where students learn by working and serving others, in sustainable projects that improve the living conditions of a social group.
With this perspective, in the last 5 years alone, they have benefited more than 60 children in vulnerable conditions thanks to the PERAJ program.
More than 700 people can see better thanks to the visual health campaign in conjunction with Lentes al Instante.
More than 300 children from the AMANC Foundation enjoyed a special day for Children's Day.
More than 1,000 people have received medical, nutritional and psychological care through the Diagnosis and Care Clinics.
And countless beneficiaries can be counted in projects such as FESE Women, women entrepreneurs, Saturday nutrition campaigns, work with the Nutrition and Life Foundation, skills development workshop for older adults, assertive "yes or yes" workshop with adolescents, a workshop on disability awareness, video for the United Foundation for parents of young people with alcohol intake, Blog de ayuda that serves as support for parents and guardians. Self-sustainable bakery in the community of Soria. Social entrepreneurship projects for young people with disabilities at the Henry Wallo School, the operation of the Celaya Nutritional Center, the MAIAA Program for pediatric patients with overweight and obesity. Support programs for nursing homes for the elderly, university health caravans, nutritional care programs for schools in the city, brief intervention with women detected with breast cancer, workshop to cope with daily stress.
In addition, several research projects have been conducted on violence and the media, human rights and the control of conventionality, population nutrition in vulnerable groups, community tourism, hospitality and tourist identity.
Social responsibility for the environment is built daily by creating awareness in our community about the importance of living a healthy life and being conscious of our ecological footprint on the planet.
That is why we are a declared 100% smoke-free campus, and we are working on becoming a plastic-free and litter-free campus.
