Javier Cuestas-Caza is an Associate Professor in the Department of Organizational Studies and Human Development at the Escuela Politécnica Nacional (EPN). He holds a PhD in Local Development and International Cooperation from the Universitat Politècnica de València. His postgraduate formation includes master’s-level training in territorial planning and environmental management and in public administration and public policy. His academic career includes serving in various leadership roles, including Head of Department, and teaching courses in Political Ecology of Production, Sustainable Development, Community Education, and Qualitative Methods at undergraduate and doctoral levels. His research areas include Development Studies, Buen Vivir, socio-ecological transitions, sustainability transformations, and the relationship between technology and society.