During more than twenty-five years of service at the Universidad Privada Boliviana, Rosmy Tamara Pol Rojas, Ph.D., has contributed in a committed and active way to the consolidation of UPB's academic and institutional excellence. Throughout her brilliant career, Rosmy held different roles spanning teaching, university management, and academic leadership; today, as she leaves the Postgraduate Studies Vice-Rectorate, her legacy is indelible. Her path reflects a rigorous vision of education, where knowledge, ethics, and commitment to the country's development come together as fundamental pillars of higher education.

• You have built a solid track record within UPB, from the classroom to senior management roles. What lessons did that path leave you about female leadership in academia?

  
  

  Over more than twenty-five years at UPB, I had the opportunity to hold different roles that allowed me to get to know the institution from multiple perspectives. Each stage represented a space for learning and growth, and reaffirmed that female leadership in academia is built through collaboration, active listening, and mentorship. Leading with authenticity, consistency, and empathy has been key to strengthening committed academic communities and fostering strong, innovative environments. Working with highly professional teams made it possible to consolidate a robust academic offering and establish an institutional presence with national and international reach.

  
  

• We live in a time when knowledge advances at the pace of technology. How can human and ethical education remain current?

  
  

  Technology has profoundly transformed educational processes, but it can never replace ethical judgment or critical awareness. Higher education must integrate innovation with humanistic thinking, ensuring that professional training is guided by values, social responsibility, and ongoing reflection. Education cannot be limited to technical skills; it must develop an ethical awareness that guides decision-making and the impact of professional actions.

  
  

• From your experience, what is the greatest challenge facing postgraduate education in Bolivia and Latin America today?

  
  

  The main challenge is to achieve a balance between relevance and quality. Postgraduate programs must respond effectively to the social, economic, and cultural needs of their environment without losing academic rigor or international outlook. Advanced education has the responsibility to prepare professionals capable of understanding global challenges and leading transformation processes in their fields.

  
  

• What led you to make education the center of your professional life?

  
  

  From my first teaching experiences, I understood that teaching goes far beyond transmitting content. Accompanying human and professional development processes, and seeing students discover their potential or transform the way they think, is one of the greatest rewards of this vocation. In postgraduate education, this process takes on an even deeper dimension, because learning becomes a dialogue among peers oriented toward practice, research, and innovation.

  
  

• Your training combines law, economics, administration, and educational management. How does this interdisciplinary perspective influence your view of higher education?

  
  

  This combination of disciplines allowed me to understand higher education from a comprehensive perspective. Law provides the ethical and institutional framework; economics, sustainability and efficiency; administration, strategic planning and decision-making; and educational management translates these ideas into concrete actions oriented toward learning and continuous improvement. This interdisciplinary vision has been key to leading academic teams with a broad outlook, integrating ethics, innovation, and management as pillars of institutional development.

• If you had to define the UPB hallmark in one word, what would it be and why?

  
  

  Excellence. Not understood solely as high academic performance, but as a comprehensive way of acting based on commitment, ethics, passion for knowledge, and a permanent connection with the country's needs. UPB trains professionals who actively contribute to Bolivia's productive, social, and academic development, and that is one of its greatest values.

  
  

• In your years of teaching, was there any moment that reaffirmed that teaching was your path?

  
  

  Many. In courses related to management and conflict resolution, accompanying students in understanding and handling complex situations has been especially meaningful. Seeing how they move from rigid positions to an attitude open to dialogue and the construction of collaborative solutions confirms the profoundly transformative power of education.

  
  

• What would you say to those who choose teaching as a professional path today?

  
  

  Teaching today is an act of courage and commitment. It is not about having all the answers, but about accompanying students in asking the right questions and building their own answers. Teaching means adapting, integrating technology with critical thinking, and cultivating empathy as the basis of meaningful learning.

  
  

• What inspires you to keep leading, teaching, and forming people?

  
  

  What inspires me is seeing how education transforms lives in tangible ways. Each generation brings new ideas, challenges, and ways of seeing the world, which constantly renews the commitment to teaching. Turning those experiences into projects with real impact, strengthening academic communities, and fostering a culture of innovation and collaboration are among the greatest motivations of academic leadership.

   

• What reflection would you share with those who dedicate their lives to teaching?

  
  

  That teaching is, above all, a profoundly human act. Beyond degrees or technological advances, the true value of an educator lies in their ability to inspire, guide, and believe in the potential of others. Teaching is a form of quiet leadership that accompanies, leaves a mark, and transcends the classroom.

INSIGHTS:

• A book or movie that made an impact on you?: El infinito en un junco, by Irene Vallejo, for its reflection on the power of the written word and its ability to transcend time.

• A person you deeply admire?: Nelson Mandela, for his ethical leadership, resilience, and consistency between values and actions.

• A phrase or principle that guides your life?: “A man should be like bamboo: the more it grows, the more it should bend.”

• Your most precious possession?: Time and the ability to balance it between family, work, well-being, and learning.

• A fear you learned to transform?: The fear of not meeting others' expectations. Accepting strengths and vulnerabilities allowed for greater coherence and personal balance.

• A favorite flavor or gastronomic experience?: Enjoying a good shared meal, where the moment and the company make the difference.