Educación de calidad

Maurizio Mulas, Ph.D., a professor and researcher at FICT-ESPOL, serves as the lead editor of the “Volcanoes of Ecuador and the Northern Andes: Eruptive Dynamics, Hazards, and Societal Impact” Topic Editorial Board for Frontiers in Earth Science. This editorial initiative aims to bring together research on eruptive dynamics, magmatic systems, volcanic monitoring, and hazards associated with the volcanoes of Ecuador and the Northern Andes. His participation strengthens ESPOL’s presence in international scientific communities, promotes exchange among researchers, and helps position research conducted in Ecuador within regional discussions on volcanic processes and risk management.

Professor Johanna Zambrano, from the Petroleum Engineering program at FICT, completed the Bootcamp on Instructional Design and Education for Sustainable Development, organized by UNESCO IESALC. During this regional program, participants from Latin American universities worked on tools to integrate sustainability across all areas of higher education. As part of the program, Johanna Zambrano, along with Paulina Criollo and Raquel Borbor Rosales, participated in the pedagogical redesign of the Drilling course, incorporating strategies that link technical content with impact analysis, decision-making, collaborative work, and the search for responsible solutions. The initiative helps strengthen a university education that integrates technical, environmental, social, and economic dimensions.

FICT selected 11 students from the Civil Engineering, Mining, Geology, and Petroleum Engineering programs to participate in the VIVA FICT Engineering Pioneers program, an international experience that will strengthen their academic, professional, leadership, and intercultural skills through activities during a stay in Madrid, Spain.

FICT participated in Pares o Nones 2026 with 21 research projects presented by 18 researchers from various fields, highlighting the diversity and multidisciplinary nature of its scientific output and creating new opportunities for academic and scientific collaboration.

FICT promotes the iPEER international certification among its academic community to strengthen faculty professional development, recognize the competencies of its engineering educators, and promote continuous improvement in teaching and learning processes in STEM programs.

The participation of FICT faculty members in the competency-based curriculum design process strengthened their ability to design and update academic programs, promoting relevant, high-quality university education aligned with professional competencies.

Civil engineering students from FICT-ESPOL took a technical tour of La Llave’s facilities in Guayaquil as part of the “Building Systems / Installations” course. The tour provided an opportunity to learn about equipment and solutions for pumping systems, as well as technical criteria related to their selection, application, and installation in buildings. The tour, coordinated by Ingrid Orta Zambrano, M.Sc., and led by La Llave’s Omar Rodríguez, strengthened the connection between academic content and the technologies used in professional practice.

FICT-ESPOL is promoting the nomination of the Gustavo Galindo campus as a UNESCO Ecohydrology Demonstration Site (SDE) through the proposal “ESPOL’s Ecohydrological System: Lakes and Albarradas in a Protective Forest Environment.” The initiative aims to highlight the value of these systems and the research, teaching, community engagement, environmental monitoring, and water management activities carried out on campus. To strengthen the nomination, professors, researchers, and various ESPOL units are working collaboratively to refine the proposal.

FICT evaluated 28 applications for the “VIVA Engineering Pioneers” International Mobility Program, taking into account academic excellence, leadership, research, social commitment, and extracurricular activities to select students who will represent the School in academic and professional experiences in Spain.

ESPOL and the Ecuadorian Chamber of Mining strengthened their cooperation to link academic training with the mining sector, promoting pre-professional internships, research, innovation, and outreach projects that contribute to a more technically advanced, sustainable, and responsible mining industry.