When Mirko Aguilar Valdés, a doctoral student in education at the Consortium of the Catholic University of Maule (Chile), was looking for a place to complete his internship, he had a clear recommendation: Dr. Denise Vaillant, dean of the ORT Institute of Education.
“She is a leading figure in Latin America. I’ve always kept her in mind and always had her work at hand,” he explained, adding that he has constantly drawn on her ideas to define the role he is studying in his doctoral research, which is that of the teacher educator.
That connection led him to Universidad ORT Uruguay, where, for two weeks in November 2024, he engaged in discussions with students, faculty, and researchers at the Institute of Education.
It was Aguilar Valdés ’s first visit to Uruguay. Two weeks before he arrived, a friend had the opportunity to attend a conference in Uruguay and gave him a sneak peek of what he was about to experience.
But his arrival allowed him to understand how the educational system works in Uruguay —from early childhood through higher education—and to see firsthand how it differs from the Chilean system. “In terms of work, professional development, and educational philosophy, they are very different,” he summarized.
During his stay in Uruguay, Aguilar Valdés gained three valuable insights that broadened his perspective.
First, as a result of her work with Dr. Denise Vaillant and Dr. Martín Rebour—an advisor on graduate programs at the Institute of Education—she had the opportunity to further develop her doctoral research on the epistemological beliefs of physical education teacher educators. In addition to expanding the theoretical framework, she refined her methodological approach.
Second, thanks to the meetings he held with Dr. Andrea Tejera Techera, academic coordinator of the Master’s in Training of Trainers, and Dr. Mariela Questa-Torterolo, the program’s associate coordinator, he gained an in-depth understanding of the program. As he explained, that was another reason he approached ORT, since the Master’s in Trainer Education is a rather “unique and innovative” graduate program in Latin America, which approaches the role of the trainer of trainers from “a practical and pragmatic perspective.”
Third and finally, his interactions with students in ORT’s Doctor of Education program allowed him to reflect on the unique aspects of teacher training and broaden his perspective on its meaning and purpose. As Aguilar Valdés put it, the characteristics of each training system made him realize that there are “different options” and that “it is possible to draw on the most positive and valuable elements” of each one to move forward.
“That opened my eyes to the world,” said the Chilean student. “If I had to highlight one of the key lessons I learned from the internship, it’s that it opens your eyes to the world—in the sense that you realize there are so many differences in educational policy, and that you need to be sensitive to those nuances when crafting a narrative and a discourse,” he added.
Months after the experience had ended, the overall assessment was highly positive. Aguilar Valdés gained much more than just academic knowledge. “It’s so much more: it’s the feeling of having met other people and role models, having heard different ideas, and having gained a better understanding of other aspects,” he said. In his view, it also represented personal growth.
Beyond how enriching it can be academically, I am happy to have had the opportunity to be part of this educational environment that fosters personal growth.
So all that was left for Aguilar Valdés to do was to express his gratitude to Dr. Denise Vaillant and Dr. Martín Rebour for opening the doors of the Institute of Education to him. To Dr. Andrew Philominraj, director of the Doctorate in Education, and Dr. Marcelo Castillo, who heads the Graduate Studies Office at the Catholic University of Maule, who supported him with funds from the Office of the Vice-Rector for Research and Graduate Studies, enabling him to complete the internship. And, finally, to Dr. Alejandro Almonacid and Dr. Antonio Calderón, his thesis advisors, because“it is not possible to move forward alone.”
"In a doctoral program, there are always pillars that support you. Without a doubt, I am here because of the companionship, feedback, and guidance I have received," he concluded.