Hernando Soto Photo: Carolina Lega

Please tell us a bit about your background

I am from Bogotá, Colombia's Capital City. My academic background is in Psychology and Teaching. I have a BSc in Psychology awarded by Universidad de la Sabana, Colombia, also a MA in Clinical Psychology from Universidad del Norte, Colombia, and a Postgraduate Certificate in International Education and Teaching awarded by the University of Nottingham, UK.

I have been working for 13 years in primary, secondary, and tertiary education as School Counselor, Educational Psychologist, Teacher, and School Leader. During my last nine years of trajectory, I was devoted to managing, administrating, and leading international schools’ learning culture where pupils and teachers can feel they are safe and part of a positive learning community.

Why did you choose the Master's Programme in Education with International and Comparative specialisation?

As a psychologist working in educational settings, I felt I needed a more complex understanding of education and its multiple perspectives. I was seeking a MEd program that could extend the pedagogical and curriculum perspectives toward complementary international and comparative comprehensions coming from philosophy, sociology, economy, politics, and leadership among others.

How are you finding your studies so far?

The curriculum is very diverse. I found variety when it comes to exploring theories and concepts. The multidisciplinary angle offered by the curriculum is rich and consistent. The student cohorts are multicultural which makes all conversations and discussions potentially critical and profound. They have given perspective.

Additionally, the emphasis on oral and writing tasks and assignments has potentiated my research and leadership capacities. Specifically, when approaching the final assignment for each course I have found highly motivational the independence and the agency that teachers give to students in both, the selection of the topic and also its treatment. I have had the chance to explore and encounter theories, concepts, and authors that I had wanted to study a long time ago, as they represent the perfect
complement to the professional experience I have.

What do you enjoy most about the programme?

Without any doubt, the most fantastic feature of the program is the international setting. International education is not only explored conceptually and theoretically, but it is also a natural part of the daily experience, as students, at least in my cohort represent at least 20 different nationalities and even more cultures from all continents around the world.

What advice do you have for students who are thinking about applying for the programme?

First, you have to be convinced that education is one of the fields you want to study, research, and/or practice. You can come from a different background (in fact that is wonderful about the programme), but what all of us in the program share is the love, passion, or interest in practices, processes, theories, concepts, and knowledge about education or related to it. Also, we share the common idea of education as part of the world tapestry, an education that is in conversation with other disciplines, sciences, or fields. We believe education is essential in the configuration of the past, the present, and the future of our countries, our cultures, and the world.
This is not the right programme if you are expecting to answer all questions with “The Answer”, that magical fits-all answer. Instead, the programme will give multiple perspectives and multiple angles to the problems or the issues you are interested in. In some cases, the programme can nurture some solutions or approximations. In some others, it could generate new questions, but in any case, the programme allows the right exploration for understanding in greater complexity the field of education and the issues and challenges in which education can be a protagonist.