Profile: Meet OWSD’s New President – Luisa Echeverría-King

Luisa Echeverría-King’s ascent is not the product of a single discipline or institution, but the outcome of years spent moving between education, diplomacy and international scientific cooperation. It is also a clear signal that OWSD intends to lead with both ambition and honesty about the structural inequities women scientists continue to face.

Barranquilla to the global stage

Born in Colombia and educated across several countries, Echeverría-King built her career at the intersections of education and science policy. She holds a doctorate in education from the University of Murcia in Spain and currently serves as Director of Science Diplomacy and International Scientific Cooperation at Universidad Simón Bolívar in Barranquilla. Her portfolio includes internationalisation of higher education, capacity-building in science, technology and innovation, and the design of partnerships between universities, governments and global organisations.

Her consultancy and research work have positioned her as a sought-after adviser across Latin America. She contributes to strategies in science policy, evidence-informed education, and the integration of educational technology in ways that genuinely support learning rather than simply adopting the latest trend. She also mentors at the International Centre for EdTech Impact, guiding companies in developing approaches grounded in evidence and social responsibility.

Luisa is a total fit for the role exercising an inclusive global leadership. Her drive is impressive, her energy and commitment to encourage as many women scientists in the developing the world as she can.
–Kleinsy Bonilla, former VP for the LAC region

Commitment to science diplomacy

Science diplomacy is at the core of Echeverría-King’s professional approach. She has trained across multiple global institutions, including programmes in India, Poland and Brazil, and she brings this international grounding into the projects she leads. Her expertise has been recognised through fellowships, including DAAD for internationalisation management and MASHAV for innovation in higher education teaching.

Her diplomatic engagement extends into intergovernmental networks as well. She serves on the Liaison Committee of the International Science Council for Latin America and the Caribbean, contributing to regional strategies that aim to strengthen scientific ecosystems and create more equitable participation.

Leadership in OWSD

Echeverría-King’s involvement with OWSD has deep roots. She is a founding member of the Colombian National Chapter and has held leadership roles within it, working consistently to build opportunities for women scientists across the region. Her election to the international Executive Board, and subsequently to the presidency, reflects not only her track record of service but also her clarity of vision.

At the 7th OWSD General Assembly, Bogotá, she delivered what has become known as the Bogotá Statement. In it, she spoke bluntly about the entrenched inequities and structural barriers that keep women scientists, particularly those from the Global South, on the margins of decision-making. 

Building bridges and driving change

Echeverría-King says: “As President of OWSD, my priority is to strengthen the conditions that allow women scientists in the Global South not only to enter science, but to remain, lead, and build full lives where they are. This means investing in systems, policies, and communities that recognise excellence without requiring displacement as the price of success.”

"Scientific progress," she continues, "means little without equitable access and this requires strategic coalition-building and policy literacy."

Her work on Colombia’s national guidelines for the internationalisation of higher education illustrates her ability to translate policy debates into functional frameworks, and this experience will be central to her leadership at OWSD.

OWSD must continue to move beyond visibility towards structural transformation. Our future lies in shaping scientific ecosystems where talent is nurtured locally, careers are compatible with care responsibilities, and women scientists are recognised as key actors in development, policy, and knowledge production.
–Luisa Fernanda Echeverría-King

Echeverría-King is also an active member of global academic and scientific networks, including the Global Young Academy and the Springer Nature Latin America Research Advisory Council. She has led and coordinated science projects at the regional level, including an IDRC-funded initiative focused on understanding and engaging the scientific diaspora. Her research spans the internationalisation of higher education, scientific mobility, academic diasporas, and equity in scientific cooperation.

Looking ahead

Echeverría-King steps into the OWSD presidency at a moment that calls for honesty and ambition. Her priorities focus on strengthening the conditions from and for the Global South that enable women scientists to develop sustainable careers while also building families and lives in their own contexts, and at the same time, fully acknowledging that choosing to remain in the Global South often comes with professional, economic, and personal costs. 

She is committed to amplifying the voices of women scientists in under-represented regions, deepening engagement in science and education policy, and reinforcing the institutional and social structures that allow young researchers to thrive locally. She brings not only experience but conviction: a belief that scientific systems must be deliberately reconfigured so that talent, rather than geography, gender, or mobility constraints, determines opportunity.

The strength of OWSD is its global community. In the coming years, we will deepen collaboration across regions, generations, and disciplines to ensure that women scientists from the Global South are not only beneficiaries of international science, but co-creators of its agendas, priorities, and solutions.
–Luisa Fernanda Echeverría-King