The Alfonso X el Sabio University Foundation (FUAX) is reinforcing its commitment to social impact through its Office of Volunteering and Development Cooperation, an initiative that promotes and coordinates activities aimed at fostering social responsibility, solidarity and commitment amongst the entire university community. Through this office, UAX seeks to promote an educational model in which learning extends beyond the classroom to serve society, both during students’ time at university and in their future careers.
By involving students in purpose-driven projects, UAX links experiential learning with social action, aligning students’ academic and personal development with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda and with its mission to contribute to the present and future development of society. The FUAX Office for Volunteering and Development Cooperation has thus become a leading example in the training and participation of students, alumni, lecturers and staff in initiatives that generate a positive impact at both national and international levels.
The Office promotes volunteering and cooperation projects, as well as the development of specific training programmes aimed at fostering responsible volunteering, and workshops for the design of charitable projects with a view to submitting them to national and European funding schemes. It also collaborates with third-sector organisations and promotes initiatives that foster a more inclusive, committed community that is aware of current social challenges. It does so by offering those interested various forms of participation, such as environmental, scientific, cultural, educational, sporting, health, social and community volunteering, or international cooperation. All of this is underpinned by an inclusive vision, in which knowledge, innovation and solidarity become tools for social transformation.
All this is made possible through close collaboration with organisations. Since its creation, the Office has maintained agreements and lines of collaboration with organisations such as ACOES Honduras, the Spanish Red Cross, the Madrid Food Bank, Mujeres por África, Red Madre, Smom onlus, Dr. Animal, Naves de Esperanza, Amigos de Monkole and Bepro.
The UAX Solidarity Incubators: a real-life example
One of the examples that best illustrates this approach is the UAX Solidarity Incubators, a project launched during the 2025–26 academic year by students on the Bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Engineering, which demonstrates how the UAXmakers educational model can be translated into real-world solutions with a direct impact on people’s lives. Based on an open-source design, the students have developed a 3D-printed neonatal incubator for use in developing countries, which lack this type of life-saving equipment.
The project was recently presented during a UAX event marking Africa Day, attended by representatives from the Embassies of Ghana, the Islamic Republic of Mauritania and the Kingdom of Morocco, as well as the NGO World Vision. The charity incubators are in the final stages of construction, and the initial plan is for the students to transport them to their destination next summer so that they can train the local team and get them up and running. This is a unique learning experience, as it allows students to engage directly with the challenges facing these societies and witness first-hand the positive impact their work can have.
Furthermore, this initiative offers an international volunteering experience that combines technology transfer, applied knowledge and collaboration with a third-sector organisation. Subsequently, the team of students involved plans to optimise the manufacturing process to produce new units and thus expand the initiative’s reach.
Other initiatives from the UAX Volunteering Office
Throughout the year, the Office of Volunteering and Development Cooperation organises activities that connect the university community with specific social challenges and leading organisations. Recent activities include the Blood Donation Campaign in partnership with the Spanish Red Cross (which helped 1,245 people during the 2025/26 academic year), the 1st UAX-Spanish Red Cross Charity Padel Tournament, also in collaboration with the Friends of Monkole Foundation, and meetings with third-sector organisations such as the ACOES Honduras Foundation and Naves de Esperanza. There is also the Oral Health Burundi project, which has a long history at UAX and aims to provide training in oral health to local healthcare staff – particularly nurses and community health workers – to prevent and identify serious oral conditions in pregnant women and children at an early stage. Furthermore, it benefits from the voluntary participation of UAX students and lecturers, who deliver workshops and enhance their own training within the context of international cooperation.
Furthermore, pilot projects have been launched this academic year which, due to the great interest they have generated within the UAX community, will be consolidated as permanent programmes in the next academic year. Of particular note is the online tutoring programme with the ACOES Honduras Foundation, in which UAX volunteers provide tutoring to secondary school and university students in Honduras through 12 weekly one-hour sessions over a period of three months.
In addition to these initiatives is the traditional UAX Hackathon for Innovation and Social Entrepreneurship, organised and coordinated each year by the Alfonso X el Sabio University Foundation (FUAX) in collaboration with various institutions and organisations. During this event, students from various degree programmes present technological, social and communication solutions to address real-world challenges posed by public authorities, such as Villanueva de la Cañada Town Council, businesses and third-sector organisations, including the Spanish Red Cross, the Madrid Food Bank and the Amigos de Monkole Foundation, amongst others. This initiative once again demonstrates how innovation, social entrepreneurship and collaboration have been part of UAX’s DNA since its inception more than three decades ago.
Through the FUAX Office for Volunteering and Development Cooperation, Alfonso X el Sabio University is consolidating an educational model that aims to train professionals capable of applying their knowledge with purpose. By combining academic excellence, social awareness and the capacity for action, they are able to make a positive impact both on and off campus.
