Why did you decide to do your internship at the Institute of Education at Universidad ORT Uruguay? What did you know about the institution and the Uruguayan education system when you applied?
In Latin America, Uruguay is a leader in education, thanks to the Ceibal Plan and the various educational policies it has implemented, which have fostered innovation and yielded excellent results in the eyes of the international community.
For many years, I have been following developments in Uruguay. In particular, I have been following Dr. Denise Vaillant, an expert in teacher training and educational leadership—areas that align with my own studies and interests.
As part of my doctoral studies, I had the opportunity to spend time in another country. Having heard a little about Denise and Universidad ORT Uruguay in Universidad ORT Uruguay, I looked into the university further—its features and the reputation it enjoys in Uruguay.
And I feel that the Institute of Education addresses topics that interest me, such as educational leadership and professional development. Plus, Denise, one of the experts I admire most, was working there.
I applied, knowing that I would learn a great deal in Uruguay, given your experience in designing educational policies and innovation programs related to teacher training.
Specifically, what duties did you perform at the Institute?
Working with the Institute has been really exciting. That’s a very Costa Rican way of putting it, isn’t it? But it really has been wonderful.
First, because I served as an assistant for an educational leadership course coordinated by Dr. Denise Vaillant. More specifically, the course was titled “Teacher Professional Development.” I helped redesign the course, monitor participants, and develop synchronous activities.
I've also had the opportunity to work with Denise on a research project. We're currently working on an article, and I'm really excited about it because we're focusing on leadership and professional development.
What differences and similarities did you find between the education system in Uruguay and that of your home country? And how does it compare to Spain, where you’re pursuing your graduate degree?
My experience in these three countries has been very interesting because, in the case of Spain, I’ve focused on academic research, on understanding how higher education works, and on Europe’s role in the production of scientific knowledge. That has been very valuable to me as a doctoral student.
But when I decided to pursue a doctoral degree, my goal wasn’t just to earn an academic degree—which, of course, will have an impact on my professional career back home—but rather to gain a more intercultural experience and have the opportunity to learn about other educational systems.
In the case of Uruguay, it has been quite interesting, because through Dr. Denise Vaillant I have been able to learn more about the reality of Latin America from a different perspective. And that has been very valuable to me in developing innovation strategies for my country and in seeing its reality from a different angle.
While it is true that you are leading the way on many educational issues, we face many of the same challenges—just to a greater or lesser extent, or with different resources
It’s been interesting to see the connection between these three experiences. I think that’s what truly defines a well-rounded academic professional, isn’t it? Understanding the theory, applying it to specific contexts, and seeing how to develop solutions through comparative analysis. I think that’s been the most valuable aspect of having this three-way exchange between Spain, Costa Rica, and Uruguay.
What educational challenges does Uruguay share with Costa Rica?
The educational challenges I’ve observed in the area of leadership—which is the specific field I work in—are related to professional development. Here in Costa Rica, in particular, we’ve placed a strong emphasis on the idea that the person leading educational institutions is primarily an administrator. They handle all the bureaucratic paperwork, monitor teachers, and track deliverables. But not in the way Denise mentions—and which I love—which is distributed leadership.
The fact is that for an educational institution to be innovative and achieve good results, it must have strong leadership, a highly qualified teaching staff, and effective collaboration with the educational community, so that everyone can work together to help students achieve better outcomes.
Interestingly, when I arrived at the Institute for my internship, I realized that you face the same challenges as in Costa Rica. Uruguay has the same needs as Costa Rica, with the exception that it is already making specific decisions regarding the training of school principals.
Uruguay is already developing more specialized programs for these principals—which is part of the course we’ve developed. The idea is to move beyond a purely administrative perspective and become an educational leader. That has been one of the most important lessons I’ve learned.
And in the case of Costa Rica, I believe this is a lesson I’ve learned that I’ll take with me and that, of course, I’d like to apply in my work with the Costa Rican Ministry of Education and in my role as an international consultant in Central American countries.
In that regard, what aspects do you think could be improved in the training of directors in Uruguay and Costa Rica?
I believe we should really highlight this concept that the Institute of Education at Universidad ORT Uruguay is promoting Universidad ORT Uruguay Denise and her research—namely, distributed leadership and pedagogical leadership.
Uruguay now faces the challenge of making this a scalable initiative. In other words, ensuring that these concepts reach as many people as possible. And in the case of Central America, we need to bring these highly relevant concepts of distributed and pedagogical leadership to the region and build on the training processes you have already initiated.
Although they differ in terms of resources, people’s personalities, and local customs, their educational needs are the same, aren’t they?
I believe that, in the end, the pandemic has made it clear that we are a global community. And that while our resources and unique characteristics set us apart, the challenges we face are the same—on a larger or smaller scale, with better or worse solutions.
So, it’s been really interesting. Because it’s about bringing that experience and applying it to different contexts. The same goes for Spain... I could easily apply what I’ve learned to Spain and its specific needs. And while everyone is addressing those needs in different ways, the needs themselves are the same. It’s quite interesting.
As for your time abroad, how would you sum up the experience? What do you think you’re leaving behind at the Institute, and what are you taking with you?
I think I’m taking a lot away from this experience. For example, the time I spent with someone like Denise, whom I’ve admired immensely for many years. I’ve been reading about her since 2011. And suddenly, here I am, working with her. It’s like a dream come true. So, on a personal level, I’m cherishing that joy, that privilege.
In terms of working with her, as an academic director and specialist, it has been very interesting because we are co-authoring articles and plan to conduct comparative studies between Costa Rica and Uruguay.
Throughout the course and my time here, I have had the opportunity to share the lessons I have learned about designing online courses and my experience with technology and educational innovation.
And I think this will have a rather interesting and positive impact on how courses are designed at the Institute—drawing on ideas from the Costa Rican experience and my own experience, thanks to the various projects I have managed.
I gradually shared this unique perspective on how to design online courses and how to apply certain principles of educational innovation. I’ve been discussing this with Denise, and she’s been receptive to it; in fact, we’ve already started implementing these ideas in the course.
As for the people who took that course, I think they enjoyed having a Costa Rican among them. Because, of course, we all have our differences, but we managed to work well together. I felt very welcome among the people in the course. The participants gave me a very warm welcome.
And I think it was a wonderful experience for them to have someone from another country who could give them feedback on their work and ideas.
What do you think is the value and importance of having the opportunity to do an internship like this? Would you recommend it to other students?
1000%, because it's an academic, personal, cultural, and professional experience. In other words, you grow in every way.
The other day I was looking at a project because, as a consultant, I’m always keeping an eye on job postings from around the world. And one part of the project description said, “Please describe your experience in other countries or with projects in other countries.” And now I can mention my experience at the Institute of Education and at Universidad ORT Uruguay.
And that adds significant value to your resume and gives you the opportunity to experience things outside your home country, which will have a major impact on your professional and academic career. That’s one aspect. On the other hand, there’s the learning: gaining a deeper understanding of education and getting to know different educational systems, which is a subject I’m passionate about.
One of the most important things—and something I would never take for granted—is the chance to connect with people who will become lifelong friends. I’ll always remember that I had the opportunity to serve as an adjunct professor alongside people from Uruguay, that we all enjoyed ourselves, and that we formed bonds.
That cultural exchange—sometimes in person and sometimes online—is incredibly important because it opens up our brains, our minds, our hearts, and our culture; we learn so much and grow as people and as human beings. So, without a doubt, I would recommend it, and I’d say it’s like a dream come true.