(ASOCOPI, Colombia)
Melba Libia Cárdenas
Melba Libia Cárdenas is one of the most outstanding scholars in Colombia and Latin America. Her career spans from teaching experience in all levels of Colombian Educational system (from elementary school to graduate programs) to being a lecturer in many national and international events; a consultant; a book writer; a researcher; editor; co-organizer of many national and international academic events; president of ASOCOPI, among many other. She has also been in administrative positions; the most recent being the Academic vice-dean at the School of Humanities at Universidad Nacional, the largest university in the country.
Her achievements and contributions to the field are countless. She has taught hundreds of teachers and has instilled in them the passion, the love, the humanity, and the commitment for the profession. As a researcher she has conducted several studies that inform our practices from a glocal perspective; she has also contributed to strengthen qualitative research to make it more and more valid and trustworthy. As a scholar she created the PROFILE Journal, the highest ranked peer reviewed journal in Colombia, which has opened opportunities for teachers around the world to publish their work. She also took under her wing the edition of HOW Journal, the journal of our association, and turned it into the second peer reviewed journal that publishes teachers research, innovation and pedagogical experiences. (PROFILE and HOW are the only Colombian Journals that publish exclusively in English). As an activist she has always fought for teachers rights; she has inspired generations to value the profession and stand for what they think is right. During the years she was in the board of directors of ASOCOPI she worked very hard to promote the participation of school and university teachers in the annual conference not only as attendees but as presenters.
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