UNEMI becomes the first university in Ecuador to inaugurate a Center for Capacity Development (CDC)

The State University of Milagro (UNEMI) successfully carried out the inauguration of the first Capacity Development Center (CDC) in Ecuador, as one of the main milestones of the international project EENTITLE (Ecuadorian Engineering Educators Capacity Development and Recognition), funded by the European Union through the Erasmus+ program.

The event took place in block R of the UNEMI campus, Milagro headquarters, and was attended by university authorities, as well as representatives of key national agencies of the higher education system, such as the Higher Education Council (CES), the Council for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (CACES) and the Secretariat for Higher Education, Science, Technology and Innovation (SENESCYT). Representatives from European partner universities and institutions also participated in the project.

The CDC was conceived with the mission of strengthening the pedagogical competencies of teachers in the area of engineering, through certified continuing education programs, the application of active learning methodologies and the use of state-of-the-art technology. Its objective is to obtain the endorsement as an accredited operator by the Ministry of Labor, becoming a replicable pilot model for other institutions in the country.

The center has a modern infrastructure and high-level technological equipment, including a videoconferencing room with a 4K camera, Android system, high-fidelity microphones and speakers, interactive touch screens and communications security solutions. It also has a meeting room designed for collaborative work, aimed at supporting processes of educational innovation and teacher training.

In addition to consolidating UNEMI’s institutional development, the CDC is aligned with the Institutional Development Plan and the National Development Plan, representing a key strategy for linking with society, internationalization and strengthening human talent through academic cooperation with institutions in Portugal, Estonia and Spain.

The inauguration was attended by more than 100 guests, thanks to its hybrid modality (face-to-face and virtual), which allowed a wide and diverse participation from different parts of the country and abroad. Attendees included representatives from universities in zones 5 and 8, executives from European and Ecuadorian higher education institutions, local authorities, as well as teachers, researchers and delegates from public and private entities.

Among the institutions present were European universities such as the University of Vigo (Spain), the Instituto Politécnico do Porto (Portugal) and the specialized ENTER Network. At the national level, delegations from the Universidad Nacional de Loja (UNL), the Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral (ESPOL), the Escuela
Superior Politécnica de Chimborazo (ESPOCH), the Universidad Estatal Península de Santa Elena (UPSE), the Universidad de Guayaquil, the Universidad Nacional de Chimborazo (UNACH), the Universidad Bolivariana (UB) and the Instituto Superior Tecnológico Bolívar (ITB) participated.

Also in attendance were the mayors of the cantons of Daule and Naranjito, who expressed their institutional support for higher education projects that generate regional, educational and social impact.