Universidad Continental: Student-Centered Transformation

“When I graduate, I want to feel ready to solve real problems.”

This is the story of Oliver, a student with a mother in jail and an absent father, forced to start working at a young age to support his three younger siblings.

With an education centered around his needs and aspirations, Oliver is now also an engineer, and the winner of the most important patent application contest in Peru.

This story can repeat millions of times in emerging markets. In Peru, the social ladder is steep, and change is hard. Young people are hungry to build a better future for themselves and their country, but traditional universities don’t invest in their potential or measure success in terms of practical, problem-solving impact. The most prestigious universities measure talent in ways that perpetuate inequality.

Universidad Continental was going through massive changes. New campuses in Lima, Arequipa, and Cusco, opening in March 2018, marked their entry to the national competitive market. It also represented an inflection point in their growth. The 20-year old university saw an opportunity to create a new educational model based on a better student experience.

We learned from students and alumni, faculty and entrepreneurs, and turned our insights into impact at many levels. Starting with a new and differentiated mission statement, we helped Universidad Continental shift their focus to developing students that would create positive impact in Peru and the rest of the world. In order for the institution to make the happen, we defined four strategic objectives for the organization to focus their efforts.