Presente y futuro de la educación intercultural como aporte para las Universidades del Ecuador

Research on intercultural education in Ecuador's universities reveals both advances and challenges in the integration of cultural diversity in the academic environment. Although intercultural content exists in the curricula of some degree programmes, such as social sciences and education, its presence is limited in other areas, such as engineering and exact sciences, which reflects the lack of transversality in its implementation. Furthermore, teacher training in interculturalism is insufficient, as only a small percentage of teachers have received specific training in this area, which hinders their ability to teach in multicultural contexts. Despite this, many teachers are willing to receive ongoing training and share good practices. The lack of clear strategies and adequate resources is a barrier that limits the effective integration of interculturality in educational programmes. However, several strategies stand out, such as the incorporation of interculturality in initial teacher training, the development of in-service training programmes, the promotion of exchange of good practices and collaboration with experts in the field. The future of intercultural education requires a cross-cutting approach in all curricula and greater awareness of the academic community. The implementation of evaluations and continuous monitoring will be essential to ensure the positive impact of intercultural policies in higher education.