Economic Contribution of UNAH's Engagement with Society: An Exploratory Study

Abstract

Nowadays, universities—through their outreach programs—have become key players in the development of nations, with both gradual and disruptive actions shaping society since their inception. However, studies that describe and quantify the economic impact and areas of influence of such outreach remain scarce. For this reason, an exploratory study has been conducted, focusing on the outreach efforts of the National Autonomous University of Honduras (UNAH) to estimate its economic impact, its effect on quality of life, and its contributions to both the State and Society. The results show that UNAH has influence in eight strategic regions and twenty-four priority areas, including health, education, legal counseling, national security, food security, non-formal education, and improvement of living conditions, among others. The economic impact of these outreach efforts exceeds 3.1 billion lempiras over the past five years. Ultimately, the findings lead to a redefinition of the concept of outreach and its systematization through a model tailored to the national reality, highlighting UNAH’s contribution to regional and national development.