Internships for Higher Education Students to Promote the Local Sustainability of Rural Places

Garcia-Casarejos, N. (Universidad de Zaragoza) ; Saez-Perez, L.A. (Universidad de Zaragoza)

Resumen: Sustainability and population have a complex relationship. Popular versions of the first are usually based on the premise of reducing the population. However, in some remote rural areas with a low density, this condition needs to be reconsidered, as it would put the viability of the local community at risk and lead to environmental, economic and, above all, social losses. Although repopulation is impossible, since remote rural areas have an ageing demographic structure and an extremely low fertility rate, we can propose the regeneration of their human, social and relational capital by attracting talent and commitment. To achieve this, the Desafio Programme (Rural Erasmus) enables university students to do internships in companies and institutions in sparsely populated areas, living alongside their residents. Despite being an experimental policy with a narrow scope in statistical terms, the Desafio Programme is an inspiring experience supported by those who have participated in it and contributes to the social and economic regeneration of areas in decline. This is a practical case of applying a sustainable strategy to a rural area in crisis, which can be transferred to many other countries facing a similar problem.

Idioma: Inglés

DOI: 10.3390/su12124926

Año: 2020

Publicado en: Sustainability (Switzerland) 12, 12 (2020), 4926 [25 pp]
ISSN: 2071-1050

Originalmente disponible en: Texto completo de la revista

Factor impacto JCR: 3.251 (2020)

Categ. JCR: ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES rank: 124 / 273 = 0.454 (2020) - Q2 - T2
Categ. JCR: ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES rank: 60 / 125 = 0.48 (2020) - Q2 - T2
Categ. JCR: GREEN & SUSTAINABLE SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY rank: 30 / 44 = 0.682 (2020) - Q3 - T3
Categ. JCR: GREEN & SUSTAINABLE SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY rank: 6 / 9 = 0.667 (2020) - Q3 - T3

Factor impacto SCIMAGO: 0.611 - Energy Engineering and Power Technology (Q1) - Environmental Science (miscellaneous) (Q1) - Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment (Q1) - Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law (Q1) - Geography, Planning and Development (Q1)

Financiación: info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/AEI-FEDER/ECO2016-77-P
Financiación: info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/DGA/S23-20R
Financiación: info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/DGA/S42-20R-CREVALOR

Tipo y forma: Artículo (Versión definitiva)

Área (Departamento): Área Organización de Empresas (Dpto. Direcc.Organiza.Empresas)
Área (Departamento): Área Economía Aplicada (Dpto. Estruc.Hª Econ.y Eco.Pb.)