Multiplatform Communication for Ecuador’s Sustainable Development: Curricular Redesign, Community Engagement and Partnerships in Higher Education

Abstract

Sustainable higher education calls for programmes that bring together pedagogical innovation, territorial relevance and global partnerships. This article examines the curricular design of the Multiplatform Communication degree at Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja (UTPL), Ecuador, presenting it as a sustainable initiative geared towards local and intercultural communities and aligned with both national development planning and international standards. The study is based on the Constitution of the Republic of Ecuador, the National Development Plan and the Organic Code on the Social Economy of Knowledge. The methodology is both quantitative and qualitative, employing a literature review, content analysis, surveys and interviews. The findings highlight the demand from employers and students for curricular skills focused on intercultural communication, the promotion of cultural heritage, media literacy and the production of sustainable content through international partnerships with production companies, live-streaming platforms and academic mobility programmes. The projected curricular design, it is concluded, amounts to a case of academic leadership oriented towards sustainability, with relevance for university governance in contexts facing territorial challenges.