This study focused on the topic of competences and challenges faced by university teachers in Ecuadorian higher education. The objective of this study was to identify the essential competences that university teachers must possess to confront the current challenges in the Ecuadorian educational field. A mixed research methodology was utilized. A concurrent triangulation design (DITRIAC) was applied. The data collection technique was through documentary study and focus groups. Eight experts in Ecuadorian higher education participated as key informants. Among the findings, there was a consensus on 7 key competences (disciplinary mastery, pedagogical competences, technological skills, research and continuous updating, critical thinking development, ethical and social commitment, flexibility and adaptability to change). It was concluded that Ecuadorian higher education requires teaching professionals who not only master their disciplines and possess advanced pedagogical and technological skills, but who are also leaders in research, promoters of critical thinking, and exemplify ethical commitment and adaptability.

The selection of a suitable place for an activity is an important decision made for a project, which requires assessing it from different points of view. Educational use is one of the most complicated and substantial uses in urban space that requires precise and logical attention to its location and neighborhood with similar and consistent uses. Faculties of universities are educational spaces that should be protected against physical and moral damage to create a healthy educational environment. To do this, it is necessary to find and assess the factors affecting the location of educational spaces. The extant study aimed at finding and assessing the factors affecting the location of educational spaces to locate art and architecture schools or faculties in 4 important universities. The present study is applied developmental research in terms of nature and descriptive-analytical in terms of method. This study used the AHP (Analytical Hierarchy Process) weighing and controlled the prioritization through the TOPSIS (Technique for Order Preference by Similarity) technique in the methodology phase. Since there was no criterion and metric for these centers, six were chosen as the primary metrics after reviewing the relevant theoretical foundations, early investigations, and collecting effective data. Finally, the results indicated the most important factors of vehicular or roadway access, pedestrian access, slope, parking, adjacency, neighborhood, and area. Among the mentioned factors, pedestrian access (w: 0.4231) had the highest weight and was the priority in the location of architecture faculty in studied campuses and areas inside the universities.

The purpose of this study is to determine the impact of internal university social responsibility policies on the administrative personnel of a Colombian university. Under a non-probabilistic sampling method, the study collected information from 58 collaborators selected from a total of 92 working at the university. The information was collected through a structured questionnaire and evaluated using the generalized linear model. The results indicate that administrators perceive that university social responsibility policies have an adverse effect on the work environment. This is justified by the fact that the university’s actions are not oriented towards the welfare of its personnel. In conclusion, universities should concentrate enormous efforts on implementing strategies that foster the commitment of their collaborators, in order to generate a significant impact on their responsibility and motivation.

This paper is the third in a series focused on bridging the gap between secondary and higher education. Our primary objective is to develop a robust theoretical framework for an innovative e-business model called the Undergraduate Study Programme Search System (USPSS). This system considers multiple criteria to reduce the likelihood of exam failure or the need for multiple retakes, while maximizing the chances of successful program completion. Testing of the proposed algorithm demonstrated that the Stochastic Gradient Boosted Regression Trees method outperforms the current method used in Lithuania for admitting applicants to 47 educational programs. Specifically, it is more accurate than the Probabilistic Neural Network for 25 programs, the Ensemble of Regression Trees for 24 programs, the Single Regression Tree for 18 programs, the Random Forest Regression for 16 programs, the Bayesian Additive Regression Trees for 13 programs, and the Regression by Discretization for 10 programs.

The current examines the influence of Islamic values on smoking behaviors among undergraduate students at Yarmouk University in Irbid, Jordan (N: 334). Tobacco use, in religious and cultural terms, is viewed as abhorrent; it is a significant concern for this population group. The study intends to identify how Islamic values affect the perception of students on smoking and, consequently, their smoking behavior. A self-administered questionnaire assessed sociodemographic data and the past 30 days of cigarette use. Descriptive statistics, such as frequencies and percentages, midpoint and standard deviation, and inferential statistics, such as chi-square tests, t-tests, ANOVA, Pearson correlation, and hierarchical regression, were used to analyze smoking behaviors, Islamic values, and demographic attributes. The study shows that Islamic values have a strong negative attitude towards smoking; students attributed smoking to religion, family and social expectations and perceptions, health and economic implications. Further, the hierarchical regression analysis revealed that cigarette use, hookah and e-cigarette, gender, and attitude towards Islamic values were suitable predictors for cigarette use. This study advances knowledge regarding smoking behaviors from the cultural-religious perspective. It highlights the importance of historically and culturally informed gender-sensitive prevention programs that address smoking-related beliefs, attitudes, and practices. Collaboration with the Ministry of Health and media outlets to integrate Islamic values into public health campaigns can reduce smoking among university students by aligning cultural and religious beliefs with health messaging.

This paper explores the integration of Large Language Models (LLMs) and Software-Defined Resources (SDR) as innovative tools for enhancing cloud computing education in university curricula. The study emphasizes the importance of practical knowledge in cloud technologies such as Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), Software as a Service (SaaS), DevOps, and cloud-native environments. It introduces Lean principles to optimize the teaching framework, promoting efficiency and effectiveness in learning. By examining a comprehensive educational reform project, the research demonstrates that incorporating SDR and LLMs can significantly enhance student engagement and learning outcomes, while also providing essential hands-on skills required in today’s dynamic cloud computing landscape. A key innovation of this study is the development and application of the Entropy-Based Diversity Efficiency Analysis (EDEA) framework, a novel method to measure and optimize the diversity and efficiency of educational content. The EDEA analysis yielded surprising results, showing that applying SDR (i.e., using cloud technologies) and LLMs can each improve a course’s Diversity Efficiency Index (DEI) by approximately one-fifth. The integrated approach presented in this paper provides a structured tool for continuous improvement in education and demonstrates the potential for modernizing educational strategies to better align with the evolving needs of the cloud computing industry.