Speakers

Opening words

Francesc Pedró has been the Director of the UNESCO International Institute for Higher Education in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNESCO IESALC) since May 2019. Previously, he worked as principal administrator and senior analyst at the OECD Centre for Educational Research and Innovation, and as head of education policy at UNESCO. He is a professor of comparative politics at the Department of Political and Social Sciences at the Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona.

Panelists

Ofelia Ángulo Guerrero obtained her Ph.D. in Food Science and she is a pioneer in the development of Sensory Evaluation in Mexico and Latin America. She became a research professor at the National Technological Institute of Mexico, where she holds several positions such as Director of Liaison of the General Directorate of Higher Technological Education. She has been invited as an international lecturer all around the world and she has collaborated in multiple international indexed journals and publications, and also directed more than 60 theses. She currently holds the position of Undersecretary of Science, Technology, and Innovation, through which she has promoted the creation of the Education, Science, Technology, and Innovation network of Mexico City (la red ECOs). The network is a collegiate body for consultation and advice that acts as an auxiliary to the Government of Mexico City.

Jussi Pakkasvirta is professor of Area and Cultural Studies at the University of Helsinki. He has published widely on theories of nationalism and Latin American history, social and cultural movements. He has also been the President of European Council for Social Research on Latin America, CEISAL (2016-2019).

Rodolfo Tecchi, a graduate in biological sciences, currently conducts his second term as the Rector of the National University of Jujuy, Argentina. He is also the President of the National Interuniversity Council, made up of more than 60 public universities in the country. Prior to his university management, Tecchi was the Minister of Education of the province of Jujuy. In addition, he has extensive experience as a teacher and researcher: he has a sound academic background in different universities in his country and abroad. He is also making important contributions to the field of biology thanks to his research with a main focus in the Argentinean-Chilean highlands.

Melina Masnatta is a Master of Educational Technology and Bachelor of Education Sciences. Her goal is to generate a social impact on education and technology issues with a systemic and inclusive approach. During the last 13 years, she has led social innovation processes and programs with a regional focus, both in the public and private sectors and in international organizations. She is an Ashoka Fellow and has received several international recognitions for her work. Since the end of 2017, she is the Executive Director of CET, Chicas en Tecnología (Girls in Technology). She is an awards jury, a writer, a lecturer, and a mentor.

Eija Asmi is a researcher at the Finnish Meteorological Institute, a Doctor in physics, and has published over 80 international articles studying the atmospheric processes of climate change. She has broad international experience on science and development projects in Europe, Asia and Latin America, where she has collaborated with several universities and research institutes. During 2018-2020 she worked as the Director of Investigations at the National Weather Service in Argentina and she continues to supervise theses and postdoctoral work at the University of Helsinki and the University of Buenos Aires.

Moderators

Johanna Kivimäki is the director of UniPID (Finnish University Partnership for International Development), a network of Finnish universities to strengthen global perspectives in research, education and social interaction, and to advance universities’ international cooperation in support of sustainable development pathways. Previously she has worked in Finland’s Ministry for Foreign Affairs in the Embassy of Caracas, where she coordinated the funds for cooperation with the local NGOs in Venezuela, Colombia and various Caribbean states. Johanna is a Master of Social Sciences with specialization in development and international cooperation. Her master’s thesis focused on the media representation of the urban poverty in Caracas, Venezuela.

Emilia Ahvenjärvi is counsellor for Education and Science in the Embassy of Finland in Buenos Aires, representing the Team Finland Knowledge Network in Latin America. Since 2011, she has been involved in strengthening academic relations between Finland and Latin American countries. Her work has focused in professional development programs for teachers and educational leaders, as well as projects related to education system development, including the internationalization of Finnish research-based learning innovations. She graduated from Universidad Complutense de Madrid majoring in History. She is also qualified as a teacher for History and Social Sciences.