Fabricio Rodríguez as visiting professor at the EPN in Quito, Ecuador

Fabricio Rodríguez mit Vertreter:innen der Escuela Politécnica Nacional (EPN) in Quito, Ecuador.
| © ABIStrengthening the partnership-based knowledge dialogue
From December 6 to 13, 2024, Fabricio Rodríguez held a guest professorship at the renowned Escuela Politécnica Nacional (EPN) in Quito, Ecuador. This one-week collaboration offered an outstanding opportunity to intensify the knowledge dialogue between Germany and Ecuador and to promote interdisciplinary networking on a global level.
During his stay, Rodríguez worked closely with Prof. Dr. Javier Cuestas-Caza, an expert in technology and innovation who had visited the ABI in the summer of 2024. Together, they published a scientific article in the journal Forest Policy & Economics, which highlights the interfaces between bioeconomy and plurinationality. This work underlines the partnership approach of the two scientists to combine ecological, technological and transcultural aspects of global transformations in research.
A rich program for students and researchers
Rodríguez's academic program at the EPN was rich in content and methodological approaches. It included lectures and workshops on topics such as geopolitics, environmental sociology, decolonial studies and knowledge production. Of particular note was the focus on global challenges such as conflicts over energy and critical raw materials as well as the discussion of alternative development paradigms. The practical sessions, including strategies for publishing in journals and building academic networks, provided valuable resources for postgraduates to position themselves on the international research stage.
International networking
A central element of the visiting professorship were meetings with leading representatives of the EPN, including Dr. Marco Santórum (Vice Chancellor for Research, Innovation and Networking), Dr. Monserrate Intriago (Director of Research) and Mgs. Doralisa Niachimba (Director of Innovation and Networking). The talks laid the foundations for future collaborations, from joint research projects to academic exchange programs. The aim is to strengthen institutional capacities in the long term and develop synergies between the partner institutions.
An inspiring highlight: public lecture at the EPN
The guest professorship concluded with a public lecture by Fabricio Rodríguez on December 12, 2024 entitled “Beyond Modernity: Science, Energy and Technology in the Face of New Global Hierarchies”. In front of a wide audience, he presented pioneering approaches to the energy transition and its link to newly forming global power structures. The lecture not only provided food for thought, but also stimulated an intensive exchange between the Ecuadorian academic community and international perspectives.
This guest professorship was not only a recognition of Fabricio Rodríguez's academic achievements, but also a significant step towards the further internationalization of the ABI. It illustrates how targeted knowledge exchange and interdisciplinary cooperation can create sustainable impetus for research and teaching.