La Educación Superior Intercultural en el Ecuador: Trayectos, desafíos y perspectivas en el caso de estudio de la Universidad Intercultural de las Nacionalidades y Pueblos Indígenas Amawtay Wasi

Abstract

This paper examines the trajectory of Higher Intercultural Education in Ecuador, which is the result of a historical process of struggle by indigenous peoples and nationalities. Through this process, social, political, and cultural changes in the country have become evident. In this context, the Intercultural University of Nationalities and Indigenous Peoples Amawtay Wasi (UINPIAW) was created. The university originated from milestones ranging from the constitutional recognition of interculturality and plurinationality in Ecuador in 1998 to the indigenous mobilizations of 2019. This work also analyzes the challenges and achievements over 28 years of historical struggle and offers a future perspective for intercultural and community education. Additionally, it highlights the fundamental role of UINPIAW in promoting an educational model that integrates ancestral and academic knowledge, contributing to the strengthening of cultural identities and social justice. UINPIAW represents the first intercultural university in the country, marking progress in the reclamation of educational rights, cultural and linguistic empowerment, organizational strengthening, community development, and the promotion of Ecuadorian identity and interculturality.