University of Piura: Research, Innovation and International Collaboration

The University of Piura (Universidad de Piura, UDEP) is a multidisciplinary research university based in Peru, with campuses in Piura and Lima and with a strong track record of combining rigorous academic output with measurable societal impact. UDEP actively seeks international partnerships to advance research that addresses shared global challenges from a Latin American perspective.

UDEP's research spans human medicine, engineering and architecture, economics, humanities, communication, law, business, education and psychology. From a applied science perspective, Its most established research lines are organised around five strategic domains where the university has demonstrated both technical depth and real-world application: agro-industry and food systems, aquaculture and fisheries, renewable energy transition, health and well-being, and water resource management. Across these domains, UDEP researchers employ advanced methodologies including statistical modelling, Internet of Things (IoT) systems, artificial intelligence, automation and control, and numerical simulation to support evidence-based decision-making and value creation.

Within the social sciences and humanities, UDEP has developed research strengths across several disciplines. In applied economics, faculty have built a sustained record of publication in leading peer-reviewed journals, with established lines in development economics and public policy, human capital, and markets and firm behaviour. In communication studies, a growing body of work examines digital media, transmedia narratives, and political communication in Ibero-American contexts. In humanities, UDEP maintains a recognised line of research in Hispanic colonial and early modern literature, contributing to international scholarship on intertextuality and literary reception.

A distinctive strength of UDEP is its capacity to deploy genuinely interdisciplinary teams for territorially embedded interventions. A flagship example is UDEP's sustained engagement with rural Andean communities in the Piura region, where researchers have worked together to improve livelihoods through circular economy approaches applied to artisanal production (including specialty coffee and unrefined cane sugar) and human-centred interventions. Beyond economic impact, these projects have generated measurable social outcomes: reduced alcohol consumption rates and higher educational aspirations among youth in target communities. These results have contributed to raising the Human Development Index in several previously underserved areas.

UDEP's research capacity is underpinned by a faculty most of whom hold MSc and PhD degrees from internationally recognised universities of excellence, including institutions across Europe, North America, and Latin America. This international academic training means that UDEP researchers bring first-hand familiarity with European research cultures, methodological standards, and collaborative practices, facilitating smooth and productive partnerships. UDEP is committed to internationally recognised scientific dissemination, with faculty publishing in leading peer-reviewed journals and presenting at major academic conferences. The university strongly promotes researcher mobility and actively establishes cooperative agreements with foreign institutions, making it a ready and experienced partner for joint proposals, staff exchanges, and doctoral training networks.