Innovation in universities is not a new object of study. Indeed, such innovation used to be considered an individual, sporadic and isolated phenomenon. This article presents it as a fundamental process for the transformation of today's universities, which are essential instruments for promoting the major social and scientific changes that will be required to progress effectively towards the future information and knowledge society (Castells, 2001). Research and graduate studies are key elements

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... for underpinning innovation, as are pertinence, virtualisation and integration (Casas, 2005) . The globalisation process is irreversible. It transforms societies, changing them at an unequal yet very dynamic pace. Universities become an indispensable instrument for supporting and replicating change. Education systems must shift towards the knowledge society and generate the meaningful knowledge it needs. Innovation should be understood as a process and not simply as a product. The crucial part of educational innovation will involve not only training teachers to use ICTs, but also  Original title: Innovación en la universidad iberoamericana changing the educational paradigm of their teaching practice, in order to build an organisational model that allows them to adapt to their complex, changing environment. Innovación en la universidad iberoamericana Resumen El estudio de la innovación en la universidad no es algo nuevo; en el pasado fue, principalmente, un fenómeno individual, esporádico y aislado. En este documento, se presenta como fundamental para transformar las universidades actuales, que deben ser los instrumentos esenciales que impulsen los grandes cambios sociales y científicos que permitirán progresar efectivamente hacia la futura sociedad del conocimiento (Castells, 2001). La investigación y el posgrado son elementos claves para apoyar la innovación, así como la pertinencia, la virtualización y la integración (Casas, 2005) . El proceso de globalización es irreversible y provoca que las sociedades se transformen, que cambien con ritmos desiguales pero muy dinámicos. La universidad se convierte en un instrumento imprescindible para sustentar el cambio y reproducirlo. Los sistemas educativos deben movilizarse en relación con la sociedad del conocimiento y generar el saber significativo que se requiere. La innovación debe entenderse como proceso, no solo como producto. La parte crucial de la innovación educativa consistirá no solo en habilitar a los docentes en el uso de las TIC, sino en modificar el paradigma educativo de su práctica docente para construir un modelo organizativo que les permita adaptarse a un entorno cambiante y complejo. Palabras clave globalización, conocimiento, educación a distancia virtual e innovación This article focuses on the phenomenon of innovation as a driver of and fundamental process for the transformation of both face-to-face, and distance and online universities. They are essential instruments for promoting the major social and scientific changes that will be required to progress effectively towards the future information and knowledge society (Castells, 2002) in countries with diverse levels of development. In universities, innovation is not synonymous with change. Change is just the replacement of one practice by another. Innovation is a change designed to improve, reform and achieve institutional outcomes that are better than the current ones. University innovation, which used to be considered an individual, sporadic and isolated element, has now become a social and collective phenomenon in which universities need to play a key role; they have to combine their scientific and technological activities with others of an organisational, financial and commercial nature in order to profoundly transform the general and productive structures of every contemporary developed -or developing -society.