The use of environmental and sustainable indicators of global organizations has greater advantages than those of national initiatives or those developed by researchers in said subject, due to the fact that they have a much broader scope for sustainability, have been applied in a systematic manner and therefore have greater comparability and reliability. The environmental indicators are constructed from the approaches to sustainable development in universities with regards to the social, economic, institutional and environmental dimensions in the organizations. This work involves the application of environmental and sustainable indicators for internationally recognized efficiency in university activities, which contribute towards organizing, summarizing and developing the processes for development planning and environmental management.

The objective of this study is to determine the adverse environmental effects of tourism activities on various heritage populations located in the sierra or Andean highlands region of Ecuador. The effects being studied have been classified into impacts on the physical, abiotic, biotic, socio-culture and economic environment. The automated method using RIAM (Rapid Impact Assessment Matrix) software was employed in this analysis, which required the preparation of a baseline study in the small communities evaluated. A social perception survey was conducted of local residents regarding tourism, assisted by International University of Ecuador students fulfilling practical coursework requirements. Based on the conclusions of the case studies, some strategic proposals and recommendations were developed that can be incorporated into sustainable tourism management plans in communities with natural and cultural heritage values.

This research aims to propose environmental prevention and mitigation on fragile coastal ecosystems due to the actions of the tourist architecture, using methods of life-cycle assessment of buildings, matrix methods of the actions that cause severe environmental impact and statistical processing through multivariate analysis. A study of projects was undertaken in Cayo Coco located to the north of Ciego de Avila, Cuba, being built today and where the tourist development of the archipelago Sabana-Camaguey started. It has been determined that suitable architecture would decrease the negative impact of these fragile ecosystems.

The aim of this study is to apply the methodology for assessment of environmental impact whether of a physicochemical nature and on the biodiversity and ecosystems, or whether sociocultural and economic aspects of the historic towns with tourism interest that are assessed. The automated method of the RIAM software is used which requires a baseline study of the environment of different towns to be prepared. In addition, the analysis of the social perception on tourism of the local people from the course work of students at the UIDE shall be applied. The conclusions of the case studies undertaken allow for strategic proposals and recommendations to be prepared so that they can be incorporated into the management plans for tourism in the historic towns with heritage value.

El presente trabajo tiene como objetivo analizar el sistema de educación superior ecuatoriano contemporáneo a partir de una metodología fundamentada en métodos de información, análisis y síntesis. Los métodos empleados se basan en una reseña histórica de las escuelas de pensamiento mundial y su influencia en la realidad latinoamericana; a partir de la búsqueda documental de fuentes bibliográficas y un estudio de caso de la universidad ecuatoriana. Se concluye con el planteamiento de un modelo enseñanza-aprendizaje basado el empleo de instrumentos legales vigentes y el diagnóstico de la problemática o nodos críticos del sistema de educación superior en el Ecuador y conclusiones que pueden aportar al perfeccionamiento del sistema de educación superior en nuestro país.