Trabajo decente y crecimiento económico

A study conducted in Santa Rosa, El Oro, assessed the quality of agricultural soils and irrigation water in areas affected by mining. The results identified elevated concentrations of arsenic, chromium, and copper in the soils, providing evidence to strengthen environmental monitoring, protect the health of the agricultural population, and promote sustainable management in areas where mining and agriculture coexist.

The Mining program at FICT-ESPOL participated in an outreach event for Lundin Gold’s Young Professionals Program, an initiative aimed at strengthening the technical and leadership skills of emerging talent in the mining sector; this collaboration strengthens ties between academia and industry and creates professional development opportunities for students and recent graduates.

The SPE–ESPOL student chapter ushered in a new era of leadership at FICT with the election of a new executive board for the 2026–2027 term, highlighting its members’ commitment to academic excellence, collaborative work, and engagement with the energy industry; the event also reaffirmed the institution’s support for student training and leadership opportunities.

Students from the SPE–ESPOL Student Chapter took an international technical field trip to YPF’s La Plata Industrial Complex in Argentina, where they learned about the refining and operational processes at one of South America’s most important energy complexes; the experience strengthened their practical training and exposed these future engineers to high-tech industrial environments.

The ESPOL SPE Student Chapter represented Ecuador at the PetroBowl Regional LACSS 2026 international competition in Argentina, where petroleum engineering students demonstrated their technical knowledge and analytical skills against teams from across Latin America; the experience strengthened their professional training and reaffirmed the international presence of FICT and ESPOL in the energy sector.

FICT welcomed the non-tenured adjunct faculty members joining the faculty during the 2026 IPAO period at an orientation session designed to facilitate their academic and administrative integration. During the session, institutional processes, support tools, and work guidelines were presented, strengthening the bond between the new faculty members and the faculty’s academic community.

The Faculty of Geosciences Engineering held a follow-up meeting on the 2026 innovation indicators, in coordination with the Office for the Transfer of Research Results, with the aim of identifying projects with the potential to be registered as intellectual property. As a result, five initiatives and actions were identified to strengthen innovation management and advance progress toward meeting institutional indicators.

The FICT Mining Program held an academic planning and strategic follow-up meeting to review progress, opportunities for improvement, and actions aimed at strengthening the program. During the session, participants discussed topics related to employability, accreditation, improvement plans, and the development of the future Master’s program in Sustainable Use of Mineral Resources.

Engineer Victoria Rosado, from the Faculty of Geosciences Engineering (FICT) at the Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral, successfully completed the “Data-Driven Decisions Specialist” bootcamp, strengthening her skills in data analysis, artificial intelligence, and evidence-based decision-making, as part of a national initiative launched in partnership with the Ministry of Telecommunications and the Information Society.

ESPOL's FICT held a workshop to share updates on the 1Mentor platform and employability tools. During the event, AI-based solutions were presented to identify in-demand skills, bridge skill gaps, and build personalized learning paths. Additionally, global labor market trends and the evolution of professional profiles were analyzed. The initiative strengthens students’ preparation for a dynamic work environment by integrating technology, data, and strategic vision into their education.