Liliana López-forero
About me
Professor and Researcher with more than 10 years of experience. Director of the Department of Social and Human Sciences at Simón Bolívar University in Barranquilla, Colombia. Member of the Research Group on Human Development, Education, and Social Processes. Specialist in the systematization of experiences with differential approaches and in coordinating social intervention projects with populations in conditions of vulnerability. Experienced in supervising master’s and doctoral theses, as well as in processes of program and institutional accreditation and official registration. My research lines focus on Gender Studies; Media, Culture, and Education, with a strong commitment to fostering research, pedagogical innovation, and social transformation.
Today I celebrate both the academic and personal journey that has shaped my professional life, reaffirming each year the conviction that education has the power to transform realities. Trained as a Social Communicator and Journalist, my academic background includes a Specialization in Political–Economic Studies, a Master’s in Social Development, a Master’s in Social and Human Sciences, and a PhD in Social Sciences. This foundation has enabled a career that bridges academia, cultural management, and social activism.
At present, I serve as Professor and Director of the Department of Social and Human Sciences at Universidad Simón Bolívar (Barranquilla, Colombia), where I conduct research and consulting on gender equity and women’s rights, with academic lines focused on Gender and Cultural Studies and Media, Culture, and Education, as part of the research group Human Development, Education, and Social Processes.
My work integrates teaching, research, cultural management, and feminist activism. Through initiatives in communication for social change and the defense of sociocultural rights, I have built bridges between academia and civil society organizations, advancing the defense of women’s rights, the promotion of peace, and the strengthening of sexual and reproductive rights.
In the classroom and through supervision, I guide new generations of critical, creative, and innovative leaders. Teaching responsibilities include the Public Policy and Gender-Based Violence module in the Doctoral Program in Gender Studies and Contemporary Problems, thesis advising in the Doctoral Program in Education Sciences at Universidad Simón Bolívar, and supervision of master’s theses in the Public Policy Program at Universidad de La Salle (Bogotá).
A strong emphasis on gender and territorial approaches informs my facilitation of sociocultural intervention processes, as well as workshops and dialogue spaces for adolescent girls and young women on sexual and reproductive health, menstrual dignity, and the right to live free from violence.
Beyond teaching, contributions extend to institutional accreditation processes, the systematization of educational and social experiences with differential approaches, and collaboration with public and private sectors in the design and leadership of social intervention projects for vulnerable populations.
Professional experience also includes work as a journalist and consultant for community and alternative media, where storytelling with a gender perspective has been key to amplifying the voices, histories, and struggles of women and marginalized communities.
With more than a decade of academic, cultural, and social engagement, this path reflects an enduring commitment to advancing gender studies, fostering pedagogical innovation, and promoting social transformation through education.