ConectIA: Building Faculty AI Capacity through Interdisciplinary Communities of Practice
Description
Domain:
Faculty Development & Capacity Building
Challenge Area:
Professional Learning and Peer Support
Status:
Established Best Practice (validated and replicable practices)
Implementation Complexity:
Medium
ConectIA is Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez’s flagship institutional program for faculty upskilling in generative AI, developed in collaboration with the National Center for Artificial Intelligence (CENIA). The program moves beyond isolated training sessions to build sustainable academic capacity through interdisciplinary communities of practice. Faculty from across schools collaborate to explore, design, and apply AI use cases in teaching, research, and academic management. ConectIA has fostered a visible innovation community that empowers academics, accelerates responsible AI adoption, and aligns AI integration with institutional strategy and academic values.
Practical Implementation
ConectIA was implemented as a university-wide, structured upskilling program combining foundational AI training with hands-on, collaborative experimentation. Following an initial leveling phase, participating faculty joined interdisciplinary communities of practice to identify real academic challenges and co-design applied AI use cases relevant to their contexts.
The program integrated workshops, peer learning, expert support from CENIA, and strong institutional sponsorship. This structure enabled faculty to progress from awareness to application, while building cross-faculty collaboration and a shared culture of innovation around generative AI.
Impact Measurement
The impact of ConectIA was assessed using participation, engagement, and applied outcomes. The program trained over 300 faculty members in generative AI fundamentals, with more than 160 academics actively leading or participating in 11 interdisciplinary communities of practice.
These communities developed over 40 applied AI use cases, approximately 75% of which focused on enhancing the student learning experience. In addition, six projects received institutional recognition and awards for innovation and impact. Together, these indicators demonstrate ConectIA’s effectiveness in building faculty capacity, enabling applied innovation, and sustaining an institutional AI community.
Enablers
- Institutional sponsorship and strategic alignment
- Interdisciplinary communities of practice
- Collaboration with the National Center for Artificial Intelligence (CENIA)
- Workshops and peer-learning formats
- Applied, challenge-driven AI use cases