(Universidad Politécnica Salesiana, Ecuador) – The Salesian Polytechnic University (UPS) will host an ambitious international academic agenda between October and December 2026, organizing five major scientific conferences that will bring together researchers, academics, students, professionals, academic networks, and experts from around the world. This series of events reinforces UPS’s position as a university with strong national and international convening capacity, committed to research, innovation, intercultural dialogue, education, technology, and the social transfer of knowledge.
The conferences will take place across the University’s campuses in Guayaquil, Quito, and Cuenca, reflecting UPS’s multicampus identity and its ability to organize high-level academic events from different regions of Ecuador. These conferences represent a strategic opportunity to strengthen university internationalization, foster scientific cooperation networks, showcase institutional research, and contribute to discussions on today’s most pressing social, cultural, educational, and technological challenges.
The international agenda will begin at the Guayaquil Campus with the 12th International Conference on Science, Technology and Innovation for Society (CITIS 2026), scheduled for October 28–30, 2026. Over the years, CITIS has become a leading international forum for scientific dialogue on science, technology, and innovation for society. The conference promotes research, experiences, and proposals related to technological development, sustainability, digital transformation, and the application of scientific knowledge to improve communities. In this context, CITIS 2026 reaffirms the importance of producing socially relevant science capable of addressing real-world challenges and contributing to sustainable development.
ℹ️ More information: citis.ups.edu.ec
The agenda will continue at the Quito Campus with the First International Interdisciplinary Congress on Social Sciences (CIICIS 2026), to be held from November 11 to 13, 2026. The congress will provide an academic forum for reflecting on contemporary challenges from the perspective of the social sciences, integrating discussions on communication, culture, politics, democracy, digital transformation, social innovation, citizenship, and emerging forms of social interaction. Its interdisciplinary approach will encourage dialogue among researchers from different fields while promoting critical perspectives on the social transformations taking place in Ecuador, Latin America, and beyond.
ℹ️ More information: ciicis.ups.edu.ec
Also at the Quito Campus, the 6th Ecuadorian Congress of Cultural Anthropology, Linguistics and Archaeology (CACLA 2026) will take place from November 16 to 20, 2026. This conference will provide an important platform for analyzing cultural diversity, territories, ancestral knowledge, memory, heritage, languages, migration, interculturality, and contemporary social processes. Hosting CACLA 2026 further strengthens UPS’s commitment to promoting academic spaces that value cultural diversity, dialogue among different knowledge systems, and a deeper understanding of the historical, symbolic, and community realities of Ecuador and the wider region.
ℹ️ More Information: congresoantropologia.ups.edu.ec
The international agenda will then move to the Cuenca Campus, where the 7th International Congress on Education (CIE 2026) will be held from November 23 to 25, 2026. The congress will bring together researchers, educators, school leaders, students, and professionals interested in educational innovation, emerging technologies, digital transformation, holistic education, inclusion, active learning methodologies, and new pedagogical perspectives. In line with the Salesian educational tradition, the event will encourage reflection on person-centered education, accompaniment, preventive education, equity, and the development of educational approaches capable of responding to the needs of new generations.
ℹ️ More Information: cie.ups.edu.ec
Finally, the Quito Campus will host the 5th International Conference on Smart Technologies, Systems and Applications (SmartTech-IC 2026) in December 2026. This international conference will focus on the development and application of smart technologies, advanced computing systems, and innovative digital solutions. Topics will include artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, cybersecurity, digital health, advanced computing, automation, smart cities, and technology-driven solutions for different sectors of society. The event will further strengthen UPS’s presence within the global research ecosystem while fostering collaboration among universities, research centers, industry, and innovation-focused institutions.
ℹ️ More Information: smartechic.org
The consecutive organization of these five conferences reflects the University’s strong commitment to academic excellence, impactful research, internationalization, scientific cooperation, and engagement with society. Each event will serve as a platform for knowledge exchange, the presentation of research findings, the strengthening of academic communities, and the collaborative development of solutions to today’s and tomorrow’s challenges.
From its campuses in Guayaquil, Quito, and Cuenca, UPS reaffirms its commitment to being a university open to the world, deeply connected to social realities and dedicated to generating knowledge with a human, ethical, and intercultural perspective. This international agenda for 2026 confirms the University’s continued efforts to strengthen its presence within the global academic community by bringing together science, technology, education, culture, and society in support of national and regional development.
In this context, Fr. Juan Cárdenas Tapia, Rector of the Salesian Polytechnic University, emphasized that this international agenda “represents a significant step forward in consolidating UPS as a university capable of engaging with the world through its Salesian identity, its commitment to academic excellence, and its vocation of service to society. These conferences reflect a university that conducts research, fosters innovation, and projects itself internationally while remaining firmly committed to the country and to future generations.”
Meanwhile, Esteban Inga, Ph.D., Vice Rector for Research, noted that hosting these conferences “strengthens the University’s scientific output, expands our academic cooperation networks, and positions UPS as a leading space for knowledge generation with meaningful impact. The convergence of fields such as technology, social sciences, anthropology, education, and innovation demonstrates that university research achieves its greatest value when it addresses real societal challenges and contributes to building interdisciplinary solutions.”
Through this international academic agenda, UPS reaffirms its commitment to higher education that extends beyond the classroom and serves society through research, innovation, and interdisciplinary dialogue. These five conferences provide an exceptional opportunity to strengthen collaboration among scientific communities, showcase UPS’s contribution to the advancement of knowledge, and reaffirm its mission of educating professionals, researchers, and citizens who are prepared to respond with responsibility, creativity, and a strong sense of humanity to the challenges facing Ecuador, Latin America, and the world.