The International Knowledge Center (IKC) is a partnership between the Knowledge Exchange Institute (KEI), Instituto Tecnologico Bolivariano (ITB) and Centro Ecuatoriano Norteamericano de Guayaquil (CEN). ITB and CEN campuses are clustered in a three block radius in Downtown Guayaquil.

Instituto Tecnologico Bolivariano is an autonomous not-for-profit institution of higher learning. Among its core values are academic integrity, research, technological innovation and community engagement. ITB is recognized by Consejo de Educación Superior (CONESUP), the official validating body of the Ministry of Education in Ecuador, to award degrees in business administration, information systems, accounting, nursing, podiatry and gerontology.Since its establishment in 1996, ITB has expanded to include an academic community of more than 7,000 students and faculty. The majority of the student body comes from Ecuador with a growing number from other South American countries. ITB faculty have extensive academic and professional experience; many have studied or worked in the USA, Canada, Europe and other parts of the world.

Centro Ecuatoriano Norteamericano de Guayaquil was founded in 1951 as a not-for-profit bi-national organization. CEN’s mission is to promote cultural exchange and understanding between Ecuador and the United States. CEN works closely with the Consulate General of the United States on various projects and initiatives.CEN activities include:

• organizing events that promote intellectual and artistic knowledge about both countries;
• teaching English language courses;
• providing information on educational opportunities in Ecuador and United States;
• promoting ethical and moral values such as non-discrimination;
• facilitating social responsibility programs sponsored or endorsed by the United States government;
• administering the College Horizons program, developed in conjunction with the Consulate General of the United States.

Teaching & grading

ITB and CEN utilize a modular academic calendar. Courses are offered intensively on a monthly basis. Students can enroll in up to two courses per month.Professors use a mixture of teaching styles, including lecture, discussion and hands-on instruction. Assessment may be based on exams, quizzes, projects or verbal responses during class. Continuous assessment is used less frequently. It is quite normal for the final grade to be based entirely on one or two exams or projects.