Conference Agenda

This study aims to analyze the levels of international collaboration in the scientific production of the leading universities in Argentina, Chile, and Ecuador, based on bibliometric indicators. It seeks to understand how research internationalization impacts the visibility and citation of published articles, identifying strategies that promote academic cooperation and the generation of high-impact knowledge in Latin America. For this analysis, data from the SCImago Institutions Rankings (SIR) 2023 and SciVal Scopus were used, evaluating nine key indicators related to scientific production and international collaboration. The three highest-ranked universities in each country, according to SIR 2023, were selected, and their publication metrics in indexed journals, co-authorship with foreign institutions, and citation rates were compared. The analyzed time window covered the period 2018-2022, allowing for a stable perspective on the evolution of scientific production and its impact. The results show that international collaboration significantly enhances the visibility and citation of scientific articles. Universities with broader global cooperation networks achieve a greater impact in their publications, with high representation in Q1 and Q2 journals. Among the best practices identified, the policies promoting internationalization in Chile, Argentina, and Ecuador by governmental organizations stand out. It is concluded that the sustainability of these policies will depend on long-term institutional and governmental support. Finally, the study highlights the importance of fostering scientific cooperation networks to strengthen the quality of academic production in the region and, consequently, contribute to solving regional and global issues that affect us.

Engineering programs requires a solid mathematic and scientific preparation that some students do not meet. Then the associate technology degree programs become an alternative for those students who may transition later to a bachelor’s in engineering. Consequently, transitioning from an associate technology’s degree to an engineering bachelor’s degree program is a significant milestone marked by academic, social, and personal adjustments. This paper explores the challenges students typically face during this transition and identifies key strategies for success. Drawing on academic research and real-world experiences, this paper offers practical advice for prospective engineering students to navigate their journey effectively. This paper also emphasizes the importance of early preparation, academic resilience, and proactive engagement in both academic and extracurricular activities.

The present document provides an account of how, through milestone subjects, it is possible to track the achievement of the graduate profile in the engineering programs of the Faculty of Engineering and Sciences at the Universidad de La Frontera, located in southern Chile. Based on this, the general objective is to explain how this process has been applied in the engineering programs of the Faculty and to detail the results obtained. This is a descriptive field study that uses a sample of two programs, ten courses, and 568 students from the Faculty. In general terms, the study establishes that 75% of the students have reached a consolidated level in the evaluated competencies, while 15% demonstrate an adequate level of development. For those who have not yet achieved the required competencies, improvement plans should be established both for them and for the curriculum. Furthermore, the study concludes that milestone subjects are a valuable tool for tracking the achievement of the graduate profile, as they provide information from the micro-curricular level, which informs the meso- and macro-curricular levels within a framework of educational quality.

The development of a thesis to obtain a professional degree within the undergraduate training of Industrial Engineering turns out to be an imperative need for our graduates, even more so with the competition that exists at a professional level. However, success in carrying out this work is very limited, since approximately only 20% of students do not fail in this attempt. It is therefore important to determine the reasons why students do not complete this process. In this study, the main causes of this failure are determined from surveys of students and teachers, so that measures can be taken to improve these results.

This study examines the use of Moodle and Microsoft Office 365 in online pre-university education at the Universidad Bolivariana del Ecuador, evaluating their impact on study organization. Through a quantitative approach and a descriptive-correlational design, the results show positive correlations between the use of these platforms and academic planning. The findings highlight the importance of strengthening training strategies and digital collaboration to enhance the educational experience in virtual environments.