"Teaching is an act of bravery and hope: it is to guide not with answers, but with questions that transform."

During more than twenty-five years of experience at UPB, Rosmy Tamara Pol Rojas, Ph.D., has contributed in a committed and active way to the consolidation of academic and institutional excellence at UPB. Throughout her brilliant career, Rosmy worked in different roles covering teaching, university management, and academic leadership.
Upon recently leaving her functions as Vice-Rector of Postgraduate Studies, she also leaves an indelible legacy in the institution. Her path reflects a rigorous vision of education, where knowledge, ethics, and commitment to the country's development are articulated as fundamental axes of higher education.

1. You have built a solid career within UPB, from the classroom to high management roles, what lessons did that path leave you with regarding female leadership in academia?

Throughout more than twenty-five years at UPB, I had the opportunity to play different roles that allowed me 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 on collaboration, active listening, and mentoring. Leading with authenticity, consistency, and empathy has been key to strengthening committed academic communities and promoting solid and innovative environments. Working with highly professional teams allowed us to consolidate a solid academic offer and project an institutional presence on a national and international level.

2. We live in an era where knowledge advances at the pace of technology, how do human and ethical training remain relevant?

Technology has deeply 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 permanent reflection. Training cannot be limited to technical skills; it must develop an ethical awareness that guides decision-making and the impact of professional actions.

3. From your experience, what is the greatest challenge for postgraduate studies today in Bolivia and Latin America?

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 the environment, without losing academic rigor or international outreach. Advanced training has the responsibility to prepare professionals capable of interpreting global challenges and leading transformation processes in their fields of action.

4. What led you to make education the core of your professional life?

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

5. Your background combines law, economics, administration, and educational management, how does this interdisciplinary approach influence your vision 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 towards learning and continuous improvement. This interdisciplinary vision has been key to leading academic teams with a broad perspective, integrating ethics, innovation, and management as pillars of institutional development.

6. If you had to define the UPB seal 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 permanent connection with the country's needs. UPB trains professionals who actively contribute to the productive, social, and academic development of Bolivia, and that is one of its greatest values.

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

Many. In subjects linked to conflict management and resolution, accompanying students in understanding and managing 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.

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

Teaching today is an act of bravery 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 implies adapting, integrating technology with critical thinking, and cultivating empathy as the basis of meaningful learning.

9. What inspires you to continue leading, teaching, and shaping people?

I am inspired by seeing how education transforms lives in a tangible way. Each generation brings new ideas, challenges, and ways of looking at the world, which constantly renews the commitment to teaching. Turning those experiences into projects with a real impact, strengthening academic communities, and fostering a culture of innovation and collaboration is one of the greatest motivations of academic leadership.

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

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

INSIGHTS:

• A book or movie that left a mark on you: Papyrus: The Invention of Books in the Ancient World (El infinito en un junco), by Irene Vallejo, for its reflection on the power of the written word and its capacity to transcend time.

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

• A phrase or principle that guides your life: “Man must be like bamboo: the more it grows, the more it must 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 consistency and personal balance.

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