academizar

A modern, somewhat jargon-y coinage meaning to make something academic — to formalize a practical skill or informal knowledge into academic curricula and credentials. Common in education-policy and sociology writing, not in daily speech.

• Algunos critican la tendencia a academizar oficios que se aprendían en el taller. — Some criticize the tendency to academize trades that used to be learned in the workshop.
• El programa busca academizar la formación de los artesanos. — The program seeks to formalize/academize the training of artisans.
• Academizar demasiado un tema práctico puede alejarlo de sus aplicaciones reales. — Over-academizing a practical subject can distance it from its real-world applications.

This is a niche, fairly recent coinage — it won't be recognized by every native speaker, and 'formalizar académicamente' is a clearer, safer paraphrase for a general audience.

Often confused with formalizar.