Inspired on the University of Youth and Development, UPC emerged in 2004 at the initiative of the Youth Forum of Uruguay and the YMCA of Montevideo with support from the Latin American and Caribbean Alliance of YMCAs / YMCA (LACA) and the Youth Council of Spain (CJE).

The University on Youth and Development is a space for debate, training, exchange of experiences and affirmative action concerning Global Youth Cooperation. Global Youth Cooperation is a concept that has emerged from within the youth movement worldwide during the decade of nineties. It is young people and youth organisations collective response to the challenges of globalisation.

The University on Youth and Development is an activity jointly organised by the North-South Centre of the Council of Europe, the Spanish Government (INJUVE), the European Youth Forum (YFJ), the Spanish Youth Council (CJE) and other international youth organisations.

The North-South Centre is recognised by its partners in the youth movement as having a clear and particular role in coordinating efforts for effective training and in creating a framework to enhance the role of youth in North-South Cooperation and in Global Youth work. This University, with its partnership between intergovernmental, governmental, civil society and local and regional representatives, (reflecting the quadrilogue) and its diverse programme, provides a key space in performing that role.

Since its first edition in 2000, the University takes place once a year bringing together representatives of youth organisations and youth movements from all over the world who gather in the CEULAJ (Euro-Latin-American Youth Centre) to discuss, train and be trained as well as to take political action around the main issues on the global agenda.