Notes on higher education as a right, extension and university incubation in the social and solidarity economy

Abstract

This article highlights the importance of the connection between the university and the technical-scientific system with the field of social and solidarity economy and its different types of experiences, from business and work cooperatives, the popular economy or the trajectories of community socioeconomic work, particularly in Argentina and more generally in Latin America. To this end, the issue is circumscribed in a deeper context of global dispute between two paradigms and practices in relation to higher education, one that considers it as a commodity and the other as a right and public good.

Ascribing to this last perspective, as its title indicates, we first make a synthetic presentation of the institutional recognition in our region of higher education as a right and public good, considering in particular the approaches and proposals for university democratization for access and the forms of knowledge construction with these plebeian economies. Subsequently, the path and contributions in our country of extension as a substantive function of the university are developed, highlighting the importance of socio-technical articulation and incubation, as well as inter-institutional networks, to contribute to the strengthening of these alternative economic initiatives.