2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Education is a fundamental element of social development as it stimulates economic growth and promotes social equality. It is well documented that high-quality higher education fosters the development of critical and informed citizens who are capable of making well-informed decisions and actively contributing to the construction of a higher society. However, in light of the potential changes in technology, science, and society, it is imperative to prioritize research in education to ensure a prosperous and sustainable future. The objective of this study was to gain insight into the emerging issues that shape the engineering education landscape. To understand the current scope and nature of research, both globally and within specific nations and regions, with respect to trends in accreditations; digitalization of education; integration of active, immersive, and collaborative learning methodologies; and emphasis on the development of transversal competencies. This study analyzed the corpus derived from 12 conferences distributed in two engineering education events in Latin America and the Caribbean from 2017 to 2024. A corpus of 4530 articles with DOI was taken, of which 1690 was the final sample for the specific thematic categories of education. A thematic approach was used to identify recurring, variable, and emerging themes, using a classifier that resulted in nine thematic categories. The most notable results show that there are three recurring themes: international accreditation and evaluation, online and remote laboratories, and technologies for teaching and learning. The most variable themes were related to the Government, Industry, and University and Recruitment and Retention in Engineering. Undoubtedly, these recurrences coincide with an era marked by increasing digitalization, immersive technologies, artificial intelligence, and the need for engineering programs aligned with the social and economic demands of the time. In conclusion, engineering training conferences in Latin America and the Caribbean play crucial roles in identifying and promoting innovative practices that define the future of higher education in the region.