Effective May 3, 2021, Dr. Denise Vaillant will assume the role of dean of the Institute of Education at Universidad ORT Uruguay.
This marks the first time the university will have a dean’s office dedicated to overseeing this academic institute, whose mission is to train professionals and researchers with the skills and abilities necessary to successfully address challenges in the national and international educational spheres through a wide range of graduate programs. In fact, Dr. Vaillant, in the position she has held until now—academic secretary of the Institute of Education—was responsible for launching the Doctorate in Education , a first in Uruguay.
In addition, the new dean of the Institute of Education has also played a key role in establishing the academic journal Cuadernos de Investigación Educativa, as well as in training researchers and securing competitive external funding for projects. In turn, in 2020, Dr. Vaillant successfully led the Center for Continuing Education in Higher Education (CAES) at ORT, with the aim of supporting the university’s faculty in the sudden transition to online teaching due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
"The institute is committed to equitable improvement in education, so we will continue to work tirelessly to ensure that our research and initiatives have an impact and give meaning to the educational transformation that is so badly needed in our country and in the region," says Dr. Vaillant, the new dean of the Institute of Education.
What does it mean to you to be named dean of the ORT Institute of Education?
It has been an incredible experience and learning opportunity. I felt the support and encouragement of rector, Dr. Jorge Grünberg, the deans, and my colleagues during my tenure as academic director of the Institute of Education, but above all, I am grateful for the recognition of the teams I have worked with over the past decade. Leading the Institute of Education is a significant challenge, as it has gained increasing prestige at the national and regional levels over the past ten years.
The creation of a dean’s position is a significant source of support, because we are part of a community, part of a team, and each of us, through our professional roles, plays a key role in helping the Institute of Education promote student development, the transfer of knowledge, community engagement, and academic growth.
How would you describe the Institute of Education, and what does it mean to you?
The Institute of Education has established itself as a center of excellence in graduate studies and research. This year marks the start of the fourth cohort of the Doctor of Education program, which has built up a body of top-tier research, in addition to numerous research projects led by the institute’s academic teams. Added to these are the significant contributions of the graduates and teams from the three master’s programs: Master’s in Educational Management, Master’s in Teacher Education , and Master’s in Education.
For me personally, it is an experience of continuous growth through interaction with graduate students and colleagues at the institute, as well as at the many universities and research centers at the regional and international levels with which we have agreements.
For me, another added value is the journal *Cuadernos de Investigación Educativa*, which I have the privilege of editing alongside a dynamic editorial team. Not to mention the university’s CAES, with which the institute has long collaborated, particularly during these pandemic times marked by the transition to online and hybrid teaching models.
As academic secretary, you’ve led various changes and projects. What are your plans now? Where would you like to take the Institute of Education?
In the coming years, we will continue to promote excellence in graduate education, expand research across various educational fields, and seek to disseminate our accumulated knowledge through the journal *Cuadernos de Investigación Educativa* and at various events, seminars, and conferences. The institute is committed to equitable improvement in the field of education, so we will continue to work tirelessly to ensure that our research and interventions have an impact and give meaning to the educational transformation so desperately needed in our country and in the region.