The Faculty of Art, Design and Audiovisual Communication (FADCOM) at ESPOL is making progress in strengthening its students’ entrepreneurial skills through a visit by Dr Stephanie Raible, a Fulbright specialist and associate professor of Entrepreneurship at the University of Delaware, who developed a programme of work focused on analysing and strengthening the curricular redesign of the faculty’s degree programmes.
The academic visit, which took place from 8 to 23 June 2026, provided an opportunity to hold workshops, meetings and working sessions with teaching staff to identify opportunities for improvement in incorporating entrepreneurship-related skills into the curriculum.
During the session, the specialist reviewed various academic exercises and analysed how skills are developed throughout vocational training. This process made it possible to identify strengths as well as areas for improvement, particularly regarding the need for subjects to incorporate, across the board, skills that prepare students to create value through their professional practice.
The proposal does not seek merely to train entrepreneurs or set up businesses, but rather to strengthen skills such as self-awareness, strategic vision, decision-making, communication, creativity and the ability to identify opportunities. These skills can be incorporated into the regular activities of each subject, enriching the learning processes without compromising the subject-specific objectives.
For example, during the working sessions it was suggested that technical exercises, such as a photography workshop, can be complemented by activities that encourage students to envisage their professional development and reflect on their future, whilst simultaneously integrating personal and technical skills. This work forms part of a strategic initiative being driven by FADCOM to shape the profile of its graduates by the year 2030.
The proposal aims to move away from the traditional model of service provision towards training professionals capable of becoming strategic value architects, with a broader vision of design, communication and the creative industries. Dr Stephanie Raible’s visit marks an important step in this process of academic transformation, which will continue with the implementation of the technical recommendations set out in her final report and through collaborative work amongst the teaching teams to strengthen the all-round development of future generations of FADCOM professionals.
© Photography: Cristian Molina, Ricardo Torres, Jaime Córdova, Romina Gómez / Written: José Luis Castro
