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isotl-symposium-keynote-speaker-Oscar-Jarez

Oscar Jerez Yáñez, PhD
Opening Keynote

Dr. Oscar Jerez Yáñez holds a Ph.D. in Psychology and Education, with advanced studies at the Universities of Granada (Spain), Torino (Italy), and Geneva (Switzerland). He is a faculty member in the Department of Health Sciences Education at the School of Medicine, University of Chile, where he also serves as Director of the Teaching and Learning Center. In addition, he is an adjunct researcher at the University’s Center for Advanced Research in Education. Over the course of his career, Dr. Jerez has advised more than 130 universities worldwide, leading projects in educational innovation, digital technologies, pedagogical reform, and quality assurance in medical education.

He is the founder of the Latin American Society for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (LatinSoTL), a regional academic network advancing evidence-based teaching in higher education. His research focuses on medical education, curriculum development, and quality improvement, and he has authored numerous books and peer-reviewed articles. His work has been supported nationally and recognized internationally through leadership roles in organizations such as the American Educational Research Association, the International Society for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, the Association for Medical Education in Europe, the World Federation for Medical Education, and STHEM Brazil. He also collaborates in international initiatives such as MOCHILA, an Erasmus+ project of the European Union aimed at strengthening higher education collaboration between Europe and Latin America. Currently, he serves as Vice President for Latin America and the Caribbean of ISSOTL, a leading global society promoting scholarly approaches to teaching and learning in higher education.

This keynote offers a narrative on how SoTL is mobilizing higher education institutions and individuals across Latin America, with a particular focus on the Chilean case. It will illustrate how the evolution of SoTL has moved from classroom-level practices to influencing public policy, showing its transformative role in both academic and institutional contexts.


isotl-symposium-keynote-speaker-Andrea-Webb

Andrea Webb, PhD
Closing Keynote

Dr. Andrea Webb spent a decade as a high school teacher before returning to higher education as a teacher educator. Her research interests lie in teaching and learning in higher education and she is involved in research projects related to Threshold concepts, the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL), and Social Studies Teacher Education. Currently, Dr. Webb is part of a multinational SSHRC-funded project, Narrative Art & Visual Storytelling in Holocaust and Human Rights Education.

This closing plenary invites participants to reflect on the transformative conversations sparked by the theme Opening Borders: Cultivating an Inclusive and Sustainable SoTL. This closing session aspires to be a collective commitment to action emphasizing a renewed sense of purpose, and reminding us of the practical strategies for engagement through a shared vision for SoTL that welcomes all voices and fosters enduring change.

This session will revisit the call to expand the boundaries of SoTL through intentional inclusivity, interdisciplinary collaboration, and global engagement. Delegates will be invited to consider how the symposium’s themes resonate within their own contexts and how they might carry this momentum forward. What does it mean to open borders in our classrooms, institutions, and scholarly communities? How can we ensure that the inclusive practices we champion are sustained beyond the symposium?