Alexander Cossio wins the first Alumni Award UPF-BSM

Alexander Cossio Gil, alumni of the Master in Literary Creation, has won the first Alumni Award from the UPF Barcelona School of Management with his project Monstrous y héreos de mi ciudad. Out of a total of 30 presented candidates of high technical and formal quality, Cossio has become the winner with a project "with clear social impact", according to the jury. 

The project is an adventures book to raise awareness to kids and grown-ups of the importance of waste management, recycling, re-use and, in general, planetary well-being. These are objectives that are in line with those of the UPF-BSM.

Cossio is an entrepreneur and businessman, he studied Marketing and Business Administration, but his passion is literature, so he decided to pursue the Master in Literary Creation of the UPF-BSM. After studying for two years in the Catalan capital, as a final work he wrote a novel. From his opera prima he pushed a new branch within his company, an editorial specializing in trademark literature to make companies and institutions strategies have personality and history. After several publications, Emvarias – Grupo EPM approached the publisher, from which the literary universe of Linda Calle, the protagonist of Monstrous y héroes de mi ciudad, was born.

"This is a beautiful project that seeks to make children learn about environmental education and how to make concepts such as re-use and recycling not only for children, but also for parents, to help take care of the planet," Cossio explains. The book has had a very good reception in the city's schools and its universe is also growing in the audiovisual field and with live events. The first edition already has 1,000 copies and, for its great reception, the second will have 2,000.

Jury rating

The jury formed by the head of the Area of Strategy and Entrepreneurship, Susana Domingo, the vice-rector of Knowledge Transfer, Ramon Bastida, and the alumni and member of the Advisory Council of Former Students, Pere Condom, has decided to give the first prize to the project for its "clear social impact".

"The proposal promotes the culture of hygiene, sustainability and recycling between children through the reading of adapted stories. It combines culture, literature, impact on society, and awareness-raising, coinciding with UPF-BSM values", has valued the jury. 

"The author has been able to find a way to project his work beyond the academic sphere as the author of the book. It has an innovative approach, as it promotes cultural and social change through children and stories", they have added.

They have also noted that it is a public-private partnership between the Medellín City Council and the waste management Emvarias - Grupo EPM: "The alumni has been able to find those key players for the execution of the idea".

Recognition and a loudspeaker

This prize means "the joy of knowing that the university still thinks about its former students, it's an encouraging voice that tells us to keep doing different things, fight, learn" for the winner.

Cossio recommends participating in the awards: "The students of the UPF-BSM must believe in what we are building and this prize is an opportunity for recognition and a loudspeaker. This is an opportunity that must be taken and that everyone who vibrates with the school must make their own. This award is an embrace of the UPF-BSM that means a lot."

In this regard, the awards aim to recognize and give visibility to personal or professional projects with social impact from the alumni of the UPF Barcelona School of Management.