Tec professors win global award for paper on educational innovation

Drawing inspiration from termites to design buildings that consume less energy might sound like something out of science fiction, but for researchers at Tec de Monterrey and Colombia’s National Open and Distance University (UNAD), it became an educational strategy recognized as the best in the world.

The research professors won the Best Paper Award, the highest honor at the EDUCON 2026 International Conference organized by the IEEE Education Society, which is considered one of the world’s leading associations in engineering education.

Their paper on educational innovation is based on biomimicry, a discipline that studies how nature solves complex problems and adapts those principles for technological, scientific, and engineering solutions. 

Jorge Membrillo, a research professor at the School of Engineering and Sciences and the Institute for the Future of Education (IFE), explained that this recognition establishes the Tec as an international leader in educational innovation.

“It was a huge surprise because we were competing against research from all over the world. There are awards for different categories or tracks, but we won the conference’s overall award, the prize for the best paper at EDUCON.”

The researcher noted that the award represents years of collaborative work among specialists in engineering, digital education, and international universities.

This award, presented in Cairo, Egypt, recognized the article “Biomimicry as a Pedagogical Tool to Develop Both Disciplinary and Transversal Competencies in Higher Engineering Education.”

“The most important thing isn’t the diploma. It’s demonstrating that what we do has a real impact and that the Tec is establishing itself as a leader in educational innovation,” added Jorge Membrillo.

“The message is simple: if nature has already solved a problem in a sustainable way, why not learn from it?”

What is the winning project about?

The paper focuses on the use of biomimicry as a teaching tool within the Tec’s educational model.

Biomimicry involves studying how nature has solved complex problems over millions of years and applying those principles to human, technological, or engineering solutions.

“The message is simple: if nature has already solved a problem in a sustainable way, why not learn from it?” explained Membrillo.

This project uses the challenge-based learning model, one of the core pillars of the Tec Model, in which students tackle real-world problems for which there is no predetermined solution.

Unlike traditional projects or academic exercises, these challenges present real-world scenarios related to social, environmental, or industrial needs.

The following research professors participated in the initiative:

• Mariana Elizondo, Tec de Monterrey
• Vianey Lara, Tec de Monterrey
• Ileana Ruiz, Tec de Monterrey
• Rebeca García, Tec de Monterrey
• Jorge Membrillo, Tec de Monterrey
• William Javier Cuervo, National Open and Distance University (UNAD) of Colombia

How nature inspires engineering solutions

While applying this teaching model, the students analyzed landmark examples of biomimicry that are now part of everyday technology.

Notable among them are:

• Velcro, inspired by the tiny hooks found on seeds and in natural structures
• Aircraft developed based on aerodynamic analysis of birds
• The Japanese Shinkansen bullet train, whose front design was inspired by the beak of a kingfisher to reduce noise and air resistance
• High-performance swimsuits based on shark skin
• Teflon, inspired by the slippery surfaces of carnivorous plants

One of the project’s most notable initiatives was the design of energy-efficient buildings inspired by African termite mounds.

Termites build structures capable of maintaining stable internal temperatures despite the extreme heat of the desertthanks to complex natural ventilation systems.

That same principle was applied at the Eastgate Centre in Zimbabwe, a building that consumes only a fraction of the energy used by traditional air conditioning systems.

“Students don’t just learn theory. They learn to solve real-world problems using science, creativity, and sustainability.”

In the project presentations shown during EDUCON, the researchers demonstrated how students were to design sustainable ventilation systems by drawing inspiration from the natural architecture of termite mounds.

Another example was when bicycle use increased and traffic accidents also rose. The students were tasked with designing nature-inspired solutions to improve visibility and safety for cyclists. 

To this end, they studied organisms such as fireflies and bioluminescent fish to develop proposals for reflective materials and lighting systems.

“Students don’t just learn theory. They learn to solve real-world problems using science, creativity, and sustainability,” the professor noted.

An educational model that builds skills

The study found that biomimicry not only enhances technical knowledge but also develops essential transferable skillsfor future careers, Professor Membrillo noted.

The key benefits identified include:

• Enhancing creativity without compromising scientific rigor
• Strengthening systems thinking
• Greater motivation among students
• Development of multidisciplinary collaborative work
• A tangible understanding of sustainability

According to the professor at the Institute for the Future of Education, one of the most significant findings is that this approach “levels the playing field” in the classroom because all students face unprecedented challenges, regardless of who has a stronger grasp of the theory.

“There is no student who already knew the test or who had already solved the problem before. Everyone starts from a place of uncertainty, and that fosters genuine collaboration.”

The results in Mexico and Colombia

The research was conducted over a five-year period by Tec de Monterrey and UNAD of Colombia through educational internationalization initiatives such as Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL).

In this model, students from both countries work simultaneously on the same challenges and form international teams.

According to the paper, the results showed nearly identical improvements in systems thinking and teamwork among Mexican and Colombian students.

The differences found were minimal:

• Mexico made the most progress in technical design
• Colombia recorded improved creativity metrics

For the researchers, this demonstrates that biomimicry serves as an adaptable strategy which can be applied across different cultures, disciplines, and educational contexts.

The researcher noted that the award strengthens Tecnológico de Monterrey’s international standing in the areas of educational innovation and engineering education.

He also noted that this recognition has already opened up new opportunities for collaboration with universities in Austria, Germany, France, England, Greece, and Uzbekistan, which are interested in replicating the model.

“Now, other universities want to apply what we did with Colombia in their own countries.”

The scholar also highlighted the role of the Institute for the Future of Education and the Tec Model as drivers of new teaching strategies based on scientific evidence.

The model continues to expand

The strategy is already being used at the Tec and, according to researchers, has reached more than 1,500 studentsacross various campuses and disciplines.

This model will continue to be implemented in areas related to biomimicry, sustainability, and engineering, and will also be expanded to include new international courses.

Membrillo stated that the goal is to establish biomimetics as a permanent educational tool for developing technical and interpersonal skills.

“Getting there is hard, but staying there is even harder. We’ll continue working to ensure that the Tec remains a global leader in educational innovation,” he concluded.

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