The Faculty of Geosciences Engineering (FICT) and ESPOL’s Center for Continuing Education held a coordination meeting to explore opportunities for implementing micro-credentials in the school’s academic and training activities. The meeting took place on March 13, 2026, in the FICT conference room, with the participation of administrators and academic staff from both units.
During the meeting, the director of the Center for Continuing Education, María Denise Rodríguez, and the advisor, Gonzalo Pizarro, presented the concept, scope, and operation of micro-credentials as digital certifications that validate specific competencies acquired in specialized courses or programs. This model responds to international trends in higher education aimed at recognizing flexible learning and skills demanded by the labor market.
The meeting also reviewed the operation of the Mi Credencial ESPOL platform, an institutional system that allows for the recording, verification, and sharing of academic achievements and professional skills through digital credentials. These certifications feature an electronic signature and technological backing based on NFTs and blockchain, which guarantees their authenticity, traceability, and verification by institutions or employers.
During the session, potential applications of microcredentials in FICT’s degree programs were discussed, particularly in fields such as mining and civil engineering. Opportunities were identified for academic events, courses, or training programs organized by the faculty to award these digital certifications to participants.
The initiative opens the door to developing joint proposals between FICT and the Center for Continuing Education to incorporate microcredentials into future academic activities. This approach aims to strengthen the continuing education of students and professionals, in line with the faculty’s vision of promoting engineering that is oriented toward innovation and connected to the needs of the professional world.
Alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
SDG 4: Quality education. The initiative promotes new forms of academic certification that strengthen lifelong learning and the development of professional skills.
SDG 17: Partnerships for the goals. The collaboration between FICT and the Center for Continuing Education fosters institutional partnerships to expand training and certification opportunities.
