Universidad de las Fuerzas Armadas - ESPE

Universidad de las Fuerzas Armadas – ESPE was established on June 16 1922, as the Escuela de Oficiales Ingenieros, focusing on the training of army officers in military engineering. In 1936, it became the Escuela de Artillería e Ingenieros with the help of the Second Italian Military Mission, which refocused the institution on technical education, combining artillery science and engineering in the European style. The university was renamed to Escuela Técnica de Ingenieros after World War II and allowed admission to civilian students starting in 1972. In December 1977, the university was renamed Escuela Politécnica del Ejército – ESPE by the Ecuadorian Congress.

On June 26, 2013, the Superior Education Committee of Ecuador approved the construction of a new education center, merging the nation's three extent military higher educational institutions: Escuela Politécnica del Ejército – ESPE, Universidad Naval Rafael Morán Valverde – UNINAV and Instituto Tecnológico Superior Aeronáutico – ITSA. The combined institution was named Universidad de las Fuerzas Armadas – ESPE.