News & Posts

The Well-Being and Integration Program for Out-of-Town Students at the University of Cuenca , focused on psychosocial, tourism-gastronomy, and financial support , has officially been selected for implementation from September 2026 to August 2028 🙌.This achievement comes under the 14th Call for Community Service Projects from the University of Cuenca’s Community Engagement Office. 🎓🤝 🔗 Continuing the Warmi VIVAmente Project ComUnidad Vivamente builds on the foundation l

The PREIT-tour and World Heritage City research groups from the University of Cuenca actively participated in the REDU 2025 Congress, presenting two papers addressing urban transformations in Cuenca's Historic Center. 🏙️🎓 The first paper, "Learnings from Mixed Methods to Explore Heritage, Leisure, and Tourism in Cuenca’s Historic Center," was presented by Víctor Caldas F., Byron Alvarado, Mateo Erazo, and Shanaya Quezada. This work focuses on participatory methodologies fo

Last week, a mapping and data collection workshop brought together students from Hospitality and Tourism and Architecture and Urbanism , guided by professors Gabriela García and Freddy Espinoza . The activity was part of the project “Balance Between Tourism and Heritage: Glocal Indicators for Urban Sustainability in Cuenca’s Historic Center,” carried out by PREIT-tour and Ciudad Patrimonio Mundial 🌍📊. The session blended mixed groups from both disciplines, creating a tr

Last week, we kicked off the first session of the Warmi VIVAmente project ✨—an initiative designed to support the wellbeing of women students from outside Cuenca who live on their own, blending tourism and culinary experiences to enrich their daily university life 🌿🍲. The gathering took place in the auditorium of the Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism , where we welcomed the new Warmis 💛. We started with an introduction to the project and a warm welcome, followed by sh

Applications are now open for the ICP-Connect Scholarships 2026 , funded by VLIR-UOS , aimed at outstanding students from Africa, Asia, and Latin America with an interest in hospitality or culinary arts . This scholarship offers the opportunity to study in Belgium with full financial support . Eligible Programs (Hogeschool VIVES – Bruges): Bachelor in Hotel Management – Hospitality Management Bachelor in Hotel Management – Culinary Arts What does the scholarship cover? Sel

Last week, the research groups PREIt-tour and World Heritage City actively participated in two academic events focused on the analysis of the city and tourism. 🏙️🎓 The first took place at the IX Ecuadorian Congress on City Studies (IX CEC) , organized by CIVITIC and PUCE Santo Domingo . In this event, we presented papers examining the phenomenon of short-term rentals through platforms like Airbnb and their effects on the Historic Center of Cuenca . 🏘️📊 During the same

The University of Cuenca has been awarded FIASA I+D funds for the project: “Use of genetic diversity and development of technological solutions for the sustainable management of tamarillo (Solanum betaceum) in Region Six of Ecuador.” 🎓🌿 This project is led by a multidisciplinary team that includes: The Faculty of Agronomy and the Faculty of Hospitality Sciences at the University of Cuenca, Technical staff from INIAP , Researchers from the Catholic University of Cuenca

A review of the Warmi VIVAMENTE project was recently published, written by the professors who lead the initiative, along with reflections from the students who participate as community liaisons. The text captures the experiences from the project’s first year and the lessons learned along the way. Completing a university degree is not just about studying and passing exams. It requires mental health, support networks, and dignified living conditions. When we talk about women w