Overall Rating Silver
Overall Score 60.18
Liaison Martín Sanchez
Submission Date June 29, 2024

STARS v2.2

Tecnológico de Monterrey – Campus Querétaro
AC-8: Campus as a Living Laboratory

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 4.00 / 4.00
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Campus Engagement?:
Yes

A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Campus Engagement:

Short film projects with sustainability and inclusion topics, plus updates in sustainability courses:


-          Sustainable filming protocols:


During the Film Production and Direction concentration of the Communication degree, students are made aware of ethics and sustainability issues, specifically in the processes of audiovisual production and its environmental impact. The work teams create their own sustainable filming protocols based on their project needs and industry references. These protocols are implemented and monitored during the filming of their short films, both on and off-campus. Subsequently, result reports with the applied measures are generated. Through this, we aim to re-signify, reinvent, and reconstruct audiovisual creation processes in the face of an industry and its hegemonic, hierarchical, and violent practices from its structure, creating more ethical and healthy proposals that attend to people and the environment through a process of reflection and articulation on the different ways of understanding filmmaking.


-          Documentary Narrative Block (with a humanistic approach).


The projects done in the Documentary Narrative Block focused on sustainability in everyday life, in collaboration with our partner, Zona Viva, an urban garden in the city of Querétaro. The students sought stories and characters that inhabited this space, addressing themes of environmental education, agroecological practices, and community work. The result was 10 short films that were exhibited in public spaces, with some receiving participation and awards at local and national film festivals, offering messages to consider more conscious and respectful practices of use and consumption concerning the environment.


 


-          Documentary Narrative Block (with a humanistic approach).


In the Documentary Narrative Block, in collaboration with the Querétaro collective Ciudad Justa, students reflected on and investigated the city through transit and journeys to tell stories of the people who traverse and inhabit it every day. Nine documentary shorts were produced. Mobility was the main theme, but the films also explored conversations about inclusion, equity, sustainability, neurodivergence, and more through memorable characters. The block concluded with an event that included a walking route to the venue for the public screening of the short films.


 


-          Life Between Stops


Sound Report:


Magda lives in Querétaro, one of the largest and most developed metropolitan areas in Mexico, with a population of one million fifty thousand. However, it has an insufficient and inefficient public transportation system. Almost daily, this woman feels like crying and gets stressed because she is always on the verge of being late to work, as sometimes she has to wait at least 40 minutes for the bus. Daniela Torres, a journalism student from that city, accompanied her on one of her journeys.


 


-          Designing Futures in Fashion


 


In the Concentration of Art, Object, and Fashion, scenarios are explored that shape the future direction of fashion, questioning both its consumption model and sustainability principles. One of the standout projects proposes an entrepreneurial approach that redefines the design process, using garments imbued with emotional value to create contemporary and meaningful propositions. This model promotes the reconfiguration of garments sourced from individuals emotionally connected to those seeking redesign, thereby fostering deep connections between the garment and its story, and preventing its disposal.


 


-          Bioexplorers: Transmedia Narrative


 


Bioexplorers is a transmedia narrative with an educational focus that invites Mexican children aged 8 to 10 to rediscover their reality and the ecosystem in which they live as something fascinating and full of adventure. Accompanying Valeria and José, two children from Querétaro who discover a magical way to transform into any animal species they desire and interact with it in its natural habitat, readers can explore natural sciences and research, identify with the characters and their values, and nurture their curiosity about the environment and nature. They discover an extraordinary world in their immediate surroundings.


 


-          CADI Precious Plastic: Revaluing Waste in Design


Update Course in Discipline


An update course in the discipline was organized and open to teachers from all disciplines. It presented options for recycling plastics and applying them in academic settings, aiming to raise awareness among educators about the responsible use of materials and contribute to reducing environmental impact. This course took place in the DICI workshop using the Precious Plastic machines available at the School of Architecture, Art, and Design on the Querétaro Campus.


Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Public Engagement?:
No

A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Public Engagement:
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Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Air & Climate?:
Yes

A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Air & Climate:

From CAETEC laboratories’, one of them optimized the efficiency of milk production per cow.


-          Dairy Cattle


o   Re: Source Fuel Contest: Biodigester contest using organic waste from CAETEC.


Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Buildings?:
Yes

A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Buildings:

-          Circularity Lab


A Dynamic Node of Pedagogy and Innovation Showcasing Resource Circularity for the Tec Community: It serves as a dynamic node of pedagogy and innovation that highlights the circularity of resources within the Tec community through a series of interconnected projects. These projects leverage the campus's material flows and capacities to drive cultural change.


Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Energy?:
Yes

A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Energy:

CAETEC (Campo Agropecuario Experimental del Tec de Monterrey) has 4 laboratories:


-          Dairy Cattle


o   Re: Source Fuel Contest: Biodigester contest using organic waste from CAETEC.


Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Food & Dining?:
Yes

A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Food & Dining:

From CAETEC laboratories’, one of them optimized the efficiency of milk production per cow.


-          Dairy Cattle


o   Synchronization Protocols for Cows: Efficiency of cow fertility.


o   Re: Source Fuel Contest: Biodigester contest using organic waste from CAETEC.


o   Ruminant Sensors: Efficiency for more milk per cow


-          Extensive Agriculture


o   Agro-food Biosystems Project: Measurement of forage crop yields using drones to enhance resource efficiency.


Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Grounds?:
Yes

A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Grounds:

CAETEC ("Campo Agropecuario Experimental del Tec de Monterrey"/Experimental Agricultural Field of Tec de Monterrey) has 4 laboratories:


-          Extensive Agriculture


o   Agro-food Biosystems Project: Measurement of forage crop yields using drones to enhance resource efficiency.


o   Doctoral Project in Agro-food Biosystems: Measurement of barley yields under three irrigation systems.


o   Use of Variable Fertilization in Maize: Measurement of efficiency and yields of the applied technology.


o   Measurement of Soil Health: After inoculation with microbial consortia.


-          Protected Agriculture


o   Application of Biological Control: For integrated pest and disease management.


o   Monitoring the Use of Plastics: In consumables within the protected agriculture area.


o   Use of Automation Equipment: For efficient irrigation water use.


o   Creation of an Apiary: In the area adjacent to protected agriculture for validating the integration of protected agriculture with the apiary.


-          Perennial Fruit Trees


o   Autonomous Navigation and Crop Row Detection in Vineyards: Using machine vision with a 2D camera (source).


-          Dairy Cattle


o   Synchronization Protocols for Cows: Efficiency of cow fertility.


o   Re: Source Fuel Contest: Biodigester contest using organic waste from CAETEC.


o   Ruminant Sensors: Efficiency for more milk per cow.


Food and Dining


From CAETEC laboratories’, one of them optimized the efficiency of milk production per cow.


-          Dairy Cattle


o   Synchronization Protocols for Cows: Efficiency of cow fertility.


o   Re: Source Fuel Contest: Biodigester contest using organic waste from CAETEC.


o   Ruminant Sensors: Efficiency for more milk per cow.


Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Purchasing?:
No

A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Purchasing:
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Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Transportation?:
No

A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Transportation:
---

Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Waste?:
Yes

A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Waste:

-          Revaluation of Plastic Waste


Valorization of Plastic Waste


It's a project aimed at converting PP and PLA plastic waste (such as containers and cups) generated within the Tec de Monterrey Campus Querétaro into recycled plastic raw materials (basic forms, sheets, profiles) for use in campus laboratories. These materials will serve as a foundation for construction projects, prototypes, models, and other initiatives, thereby reducing the demand for and acquisition of new and virgin plastics. Rigorous mechanical, chemical, and microstructural analyses will be conducted to determine and ensure the functionality of the recycled material.


 


-          Product Design, Valorizing Waste Generated on Campus


For three editions, the biomimicry methodology adapted by Dr. Alejandro Acuña has been applied in the Tec20 course for 8th-semester students. The objective is to design products that address the needs of various users and revalorize some of the waste generated on campus and in the DICI machine workshop. With support from the Physical Plant team, which collects waste (such as plastic cups from two campus food vendors), the waste generated in the DICI workshop, and plastic recycling machines, students engage in upcycling and recycling processes to utilize waste that would otherwise end up in landfills. In the case of plastic, they produce raw materials (boards and modules) to create these products. In the February-June 2023 edition, we collaborated with the campus Kids Club program as a Forming Partner. Students designed products to meet the needs of children in the program's space.


 


-          Inclusion Bazaar


Art and clothing bazaar trade among the students’ and collaborators’ communities, to revalorize these articles.


Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Water?:
Yes

A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Water:

CAETEC (Campo Agropecuario Experimental del Tec de Monterrey) has 4 laboratories:


-          Extensive Agriculture


o   Agro-food Biosystems Project: Measurement of forage crop yields using drones to enhance resource efficiency.


-          Protected Agriculture


o   Use of Automation Equipment: For efficient irrigation water use.


Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Coordination & Planning?:
Yes

A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Coordination & Planning:

-          Youth Against Climate Change


The IDS students and I jointly designed a course/workshop aimed at promoting environmental education and awareness. The theoretical-practical workshop focused on topics such as climate change, resource consumption patterns, greenwashing, waste generation and management, and the basics of the circular economy. During the February-June 2023 semester, the workshop was directed at campus staff and students. However, during the February-June 2024 semester, the course will be presented in middle and high schools in the city of Querétaro.


Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Diversity & Affordability?:
No

A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Diversity & Affordability:
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Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Investment & Finance?:
Yes

A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Investment & Finance:

-          Circularity Lab


A Dynamic Node of Pedagogy and Innovation Showcasing Resource Circularity for the Tec Community: It serves as a dynamic node of pedagogy and innovation that highlights the circularity of resources within the Tec community through a series of interconnected projects. These projects leverage the campus's material flows and capacities to drive cultural change.


Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Wellbeing & Work?:
No

A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Wellbeing & Work:
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Website URL where information about the institution’s living laboratory program is available:
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Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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