Conference Agenda

Generative artificial intelligence (AI), particularly ChatGPT, has reshaped learning processes in higher education by offering new opportunities alongside emerging challenges. Although its use has rapidly expanded, questions remain regarding how students integrate it into their academic practices, what perceptions they hold about its effectiveness, and which ethical implications arise from its application.

This study aimed to analyze university students’ perceptions and experiences regarding the use of generative AI tools, identifying associated benefits, limitations, and ethical considerations. A qualitative, descriptive, and cross-sectional approach was adopted, using focus groups with students from a Honduran university. Data were transcribed, validated, and analyzed through thematic coding based on a predefined category framework. Discourse saturation was visualized through a word cloud, a heat map, and a conceptual network.

The findings revealed that students frequently use ChatGPT as support for content generation, information retrieval, and text refinement. However, they also noted limitations in accuracy, particularly in areas involving mathematics and programming.

The study concludes that AI adoption among students is primarily driven by functional considerations, with ethical reflection remaining at an early stage. These results underscore the need for educational strategies that integrate critical and ethical training into the use of AI

Abstract—Family businesses account for around 70% of the gross domestic product in Honduras. The objective of this study was to analyse the perceptions of both owner-founders and successors of family businesses regarding succession plans and family protocols. The methodology used was a mixed approach: exploratory-descriptive, cross-sectional, and non-experimental. The sample for the survey was non-probabilistic; 91 companies out of a universe of 844 companies according to the database of companies profiled in the business mapping conducted in 2022, and 10 representatives of family businesses participated in the focus group. The results of the survey indicate that 57% of the family businesses have family members in the company. 9% do not involve family members in the operation of the business. 53% of the family businesses do not have a formal succession plan, 8% have informal succession agreements that are not documented, and only 4% admitted that they have formalised the succession plan. The focus group revealed a strong link between family and business; when family members are in harmony, it is easier to make decisions and prepare for change. In conclusion, the absence of succession protocols and inadequate governance pose a risk to the future generation of family businesses.

This quantitative research primarily evaluates university student satisfaction with English Medium Instruction (EMI) courses, encompassing both their academic programs and entrepreneurship classes, in two pioneering Honduran private universities. Within their initial 18 months of EMI implementation, these institutions have notably advanced educational transformation and fostered entrepreneurial skill development, aiming to enhance global opportunities for students. A probability model results indicate that pedagogical, affective, and entrepreneurial dimensions significantly and positively correlate with students' likelihood of recommending EMI courses. Conversely, the study found no statistical significance for linguistic-communicative and virtual classroom dimensions, suggesting an adequate student linguistic base or successful adaptation to online learning environments for the surveyed population. This research identifies ongoing challenges, particularly in motivating increased teacher participation and accurately measuring students' language proficiency within EMI contexts. The findings offer an empirical foundation for refining EMI strategies through enhanced teaching quality, positive learning environments, and integrated entrepreneurial skill development. Future research could further explore student preference heterogeneity using qualitative or longitudinal designs and conduct comparative analyses with other university contexts.

The study evaluated the CE3 policy (2024-2025) for gender equality at the Entrepreneurship Center of the Bolivarian University of Ecuador. The study found that the policy achieved nearly equal participation (51% women and 49% men, a difference of 2%), which exceeds the UNESCO threshold and reduces historical gaps by 78%. Using a mixed methodology of normative analysis, interviews, and focus groups, key barriers were identified, including evaluative biases (78%), inadequate infrastructure, and psychosocial self-disqualification (affecting 36% of rural women). Proposed solutions include dynamic teacher hiring algorithms (β = 0.85) and employability metrics. The model is aligned with SDGs 4, 5, and 10 and offers a replicable framework. However, gaps persist in technical sectors (four women versus 17 men). Institutional adaptations such as flexible schedules, breastfeeding rooms, and gender-sensitive mentoring were crucial in reversing the initial male predominance ratio (17:1 in 2024 to 5.3:1 in 2025, p < 0.001), though gaps in technical programs persist (4:17).

This study examines the participation and leadership of women students involved in Research Seedbed in two programs and universities in Cali: Industrial Engineering (UNIMINUTO) and Technology in Information Systems and Software (Universidad Santiago de Cali, USC). A sequential explanatory mixed-methods design combined surveys (n = 120) and semi-structured interviews (n = 24) to estimate participation metrics, characterize academic and sociocultural barriers, and assess the perceived effectiveness of institutional strategies aimed at closing gaps. Results indicate that participation increases with academic progression; leadership roles are heterogeneously distributed, with greater presence in coordination and project lead positions; and barriers cluster around academic workload, inflexible schedules, and the presence of biases/microaggressions. Formal mentorship, personalized tutoring, and incentives/scholarships are associated with improvements in retention and continued engagement in research groups. Interpretation is grounded in frameworks on motivation, communal goal congruity, implicit bias, and organizational culture. Building on these results, we prioritize actions: strengthening mentorship with female role models; increasing curricular and scheduling flexibility; consolidating psychosocial support pathways; and reinforcing protocols addressing discrimination. The study provides comparable UNIMINUTO–USC indicators and a baseline for longitudinal monitoring and evaluation of academic performance and professional placement.

The low participation of women in engineering programs remains a significant issue in higher education, particularly in disciplines traditionally dominated by men, such as those related to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Despite institutional and societal efforts to close the gender gap, women continue to face multiple structural, cultural, and social barriers that limit their access, retention, and advancement in these fields.

In this context, this study focuses on analyzing the evolution of female enrollment in engineering programs offered by the Centro Universitario Tecnológico (CEUTEC), Tegucigalpa campus, during the period 2015–2024. Additionally, it specifically examines the experiences of students enrolled in the Logistics Management Engineering program, aiming to identify the factors that influence their choice of career, the challenges they face, and the strategies that could promote greater female participation in this field.

The analysis is based on quantitative enrollment data, as well as qualitative and quantitative information collected through surveys administered to active students in the first semester of 2025 in the Logistics Management Engineering program. Through this mixed-methods approach, the study seeks to provide evidence to guide more inclusive institutional and educational policies, fostering greater gender equity in the field of engineering.