ASU expands “ASU en Español” with new global offerings in innovation, AI and sustainability
With more than 480 million native Spanish speakers and 39% of job skills expected to change by 2030, ASU is building the future of learning for the world’s second-largest language community.
The global workforce is undergoing seismic change. According to the World Economic Forum, nearly 40% of workers’ core skills are projected to shift by the end of this decade, driven by advances in artificial intelligence, sustainability demands and rapid digital transformation.
Yet despite being the world’s second most spoken native language, Spanish remains underrepresented in high-quality, career-aligned education. Arizona State University is stepping up to meet demand.
Through ASU en Español, the university has launched a growing portfolio of Spanish-language learning programs designed for global learners seeking to advance their careers in fields of work where bilingual capabilities are of greater value. These offerings are co-developed with ASU schools and colleges alongside international partners to reflect the goals and marketplace realities of growing Spanish-speaking communities.
“We’re not simply offering courses in Spanish,” says Marco Serrato, vice president of ASU’s Learning Enterprise. “We’re co-creating a portfolio that reflects the goals of our learners, equipping them to lead in economies increasingly shaped by innovation and digital transformation.”
Programs designed for global learners and the future of work
The ASU en Español portfolio focuses on subjects that are shaping today’s fastest-growing industries. As technologies like artificial intelligence, immersive tools and big data continue to redefine how we live and work, the demand for skilled, adaptable, multi-lingual professionals is only increasing.
ASU’s courses are designed to help learners gain practical, career-aligned skills in areas that matter — both for individual advancement and for broader economic resilience across Spanish-speaking communities. The current portfolio includes more than a dozen courses and certificates in key fields, including:
Artificial intelligence
● Generative AI in the Workplace
● Teaching and Learning with Generative AI
Digital transformation
● Digital Intelligence Certificate, including modules on communication, creativity, well-being and safety
Sustainability
● Foundational Competencies for Sustainability
● ESG Principles and Sustainability Analyst Certification (with Google)
Data and analytics
● Big Data and Learning Analytics in the Global Economy (offered in Spanish through Thunderbird School of Global Management)
Immersive technology (coming soon)
● Using Immersive Technologies in Education: AR, VR and the Metaverse
All programs are delivered by ASU faculty and offered in flexible formats, including asynchronous, live virtual and hybrid models, to accommodate learners’ schedules and geographies.
Tapping ASU’s breadth of expertise
ASU en Español reflects the strength of ASU’s enterprise-wide model. Faculty and leadership from Thunderbird School of Global Management, The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the College of Global Futures, New College of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences, ASU’s Next Lab at Enterprise Technology and EdPlus all contribute to this cross-functional effort.
“Access to education is not only critical to ASU’s success but also needed if we are to craft solutions to our shared global challenges,” says Miki Kittilson, dean of the College of Global Futures. “Our courses through ASU en Español empower learners to shape their own futures with the knowledge and tools needed to lead in a rapidly changing world.”
That vision is shared across the university, where leaders put to work ASU’s values of access, inclusion and innovation through tangible design principles.
“This work is perfectly aligned with the ASU Charter,” adds Todd Sandrin, dean of New College of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences. “In New College, by designing with language and context in mind, we advance the concept of Learning is for Everyone.”
That same intentionality carries over into how the technology itself is used to design learning experiences that are immersive, responsive and scalable.
“We designed and delivered the Immersive Learning program for UADE [Universidad Argentina de la Empresa],” says Dan Munnerley, executive director of the ASU’s Next Lab. “What I found most exciting is how our Spanish-speaking graduates from Next Lab were able to assist ASU experts in more than just translation; they helped to build relationships through communicating regularly in online forums with our partner learners. These relationships have continued beyond the courses in communities of practice and extension projects.”
Designed for real-world relevance
These programs not only translate English-language content, they localize examples, build culturally responsive pedagogy and often involve in-country facilitators or academic partners. Collaborations with institutions including Tec de Monterrey (Mexico), CESA (Colombia) and Universidad Argentina de la Empresa (Argentina) ensure content is grounded in learners’ professional, economic and social realities.
It’s an approach that prioritizes both access and agency, connecting learners with skills that are immediately applicable, whether in the global marketplace or their local communities.
“ASU en Español reflects the future of global learning,” says Serrato. “And it embodies ASU’s belief that learning education should be flexible, enabled by technologies like AI and built around the learner — regardless of where they’re starting from.”
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