Dr. Leslie Tejeda | Food Engineering & Chemical Sciences Research Leslie Karina Tejeda Pérez

I firmly believe in the power of collaborative networked work. In 2013, after completing our doctorates at Lund University, a group of researchers and I returned to Bolivia with a firm commitment to contribute to the Universidad Mayor de San Andrés. However, we encountered a challenging landscape due to the limited visibility and barriers faced by women in the scientific field.
Far from being discouraged, we turned these obstacles into action. In close partnership with the Swedish Embassy, we founded the Swedish Alumni Network in Bolivia (SI Alumni Network Bolivia). What began as a space to maintain professional contact among Bolivian scientists and promote Swedish culture soon evolved into a solid institutional structure. We developed our own bylaws, which even served as a reference for the Swedish Institute's global network.
In my role as Vice President, I focused my efforts on fostering innovation and entrepreneurship. In collaboration with the Colombian Alumni Network, I led workshops and training sessions on the Triple Helix model. Additionally, I coordinated an international program with the Swedish Institute, bringing in an expert coordinator to train approximately 200 young local entrepreneurs, several of whom also participated in visits to innovation centers in Sweden and other countries
Currently, the network brings together professionals from public and private universities committed to the country's development, promoting initiatives with social impact, the circular economy, specialized training, and international cooperation networks.
Years later, around 2019, I coordinated the institutional project "Innovation Management" at the Universidad Mayor de San Andrés to build a Research, Postgraduate, Social Interaction, and Innovation System, aimed at boosting product creation and technology transfer, with support from the Swedish Development Agency (ASDI). Unfortunately, the project suffered budget cuts from the Swedish agency, so we were only able to conduct cycles of reflections and dialogues on innovation throughout the country's public university system.
On the other hand, a clear example of my role in working between networks was as local coordinator of the TYAN network's Practical Schools in Bolivia. This program is closely aligned with UNESCO’s mission to promote peace, eradicate poverty, and foster sustainable development through scientific cooperation between local researchers and their peers in Latin America.
During its editions between 2023 and 2025, this initiative democratized access to national and international scientific knowledge and generated a significant positive impact, highlighting strong participation and promoting female empowerment in STEM fields.
Throughout my academic career and as founder and member of various international networks, I have found that education is the fundamental tool for transforming realities, promoting intercultural dialogue, and building peace. In a multicultural context such as Bolivia, education fosters interculturality by deconstructing prejudices and revaluing local knowledge, integrating indigenous languages and traditional knowledge to consolidate diversity as a shared asset.
Likewise, strengthening social cohesion requires consolidating networks of trust. In this sense, the TYAN Hands-on Schools have constituted inclusive learning spaces where researchers, students, and civil society collaborate on equal terms
A tangible result of this revitalization is the strategic alliance between the Universidad Mayor de San Andrés (Bolivia) and the Instituto Tecnológico de Chascomús (Argentina). This collaboration has not only facilitated research scholarships for Bolivian students through support from CONICET, but has also consolidated joint scientific output, currently comprising two published articles, one under review, and one in draft form. These actions demonstrate how regional scientific integration generates trust, equity, and sustainable development.
Throughout its three editions, the TYAN Hands-on School in Bolivia has proven to be a highly transformative model, consolidating substantial results in multiple academic, social, and international cooperation dimensions.
1. Demographic Reach and Inclusion: Women's Leadership in Science
The program has decisively positioned itself as a catalyst for the empowerment and development of women's scientific talent in Bolivia. Throughout the three editions of the event, the participation of female researchers and students consistently and intentionally surpassed that of men. This phenomenon not only demonstrates a high level of interest but also closes historical gaps in STEM disciplines (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics), highlighting and promoting the role of Bolivian women as protagonists in the generation of advanced scientific knowledge.
2. Institutional Impact and Decentralization of Knowledge
The school has achieved effective collaboration between public and private universities, comprehensively strengthening postgraduate academic capacities and the delivery of advanced technical skills.
• Public Sector: Thanks to the strategic alliance and the coordinating role of the Universidad Mayor de San Andrés (UMSA)—Bolivia's most prestigious higher education institution—a fundamental pillar of support was established, directly benefiting various public universities across the country.
• Private Sector: Simultaneously, private universities maintained a constant and active presence, enriching inter-institutional dialogue and democratizing access to high-level specialized training.
3. Academic Evolution and Thematic Relevance
The program's curriculum underwent a strategic evolution: it began with traditional basic sciences and progressively advanced toward applied technological specializations, designed to address critical global challenges such as food security and climate change:
• 2023 Edition (Scientific Foundations): It began with record attendance in the "Food Chemistry" course, complemented by key subjects such as "Plant Reproduction Improvement" and "Biospectroscopy."
• 2024 Edition (Technical Application and Research): The curriculum delved deeper into methodological and applied research profiles, highlighting the "Food Chemistry and Nutrition" course, followed by "Experimental Modeling with Animals in Biology."
• 2025 Edition (Sustainability and Global Focus): Strategically aligned with the theme of "Agribusiness and the Environment," the third edition focused on the course "Biofertilizers for Sustainable Crop Production," in addition to specialized seminars on clean technologies and rural development.
4. Global Reach and Multicultural Exchange
Although the initiative has deep local roots aimed at addressing the needs of Bolivian academic institutions, the active participation of international scientists from the TYAN-TWAS network elevates its status to a truly global reach.
Educators and researchers from diverse continents, with heterogeneous cultural and linguistic backgrounds, converged with a common purpose: to inspire new generations of students. This transdisciplinary and intercultural space demonstrated that a passion for learning and scientific rigor transcend geographical and ideological boundaries.
In summary, nearly 500 students participated in the TYAN Practical Schools (2023–2025), demonstrating that short, intensive training programs led by renowned national and international experts are highly effective mechanisms for decentralizing cutting-edge scientific knowledge.
This activity also directly contributed to the academic internationalization process of the Universidad Mayor de San Andrés (UMSA), strengthening its standards of educational quality and scientific research. This comprehensive approach not only raises Bolivia's international visibility within the scientific community but also directs scientific knowledge toward the search for sustainable solutions for global food security.
From a personal perspective, leading and actively participating in these scientific and educational initiatives in collaboration with national and international experts has been a profoundly enriching experience. Beyond the transmission of technical knowledge, this path has allowed me to foster critical thinking, resilience in the face of scientific challenges, and a clear awareness of diversity as an invaluable asset for knowledge building in my students.
Due to these activities, I received an award as an Outstanding Woman Researcher in 2024 from the Chamber of Deputies of the Plurinational State of Bolivia.
I am also a member of Swebol Biotech, a spin-off company dedicated to the development of functional foods with solid scientific backing. Our flagship product is QUINY®, an organic quinoa-based beverage free of added sugars, preservatives, and gluten, characterized by a high nutritional profile rich in protein, polyphenols, and fiber. This innovation enhances the value of the Andean-Bolivian agricultural heritage through technological transformation and the generation of high added value, which has led us to secure two international patents (via the PCT in Sweden and in the Andean Community - CAN).
Given the lack of installed technology in Bolivia for the industrial processing of plant-based enzyme beverages, outsourcing production to Italy was chosen. An initial marketing experience in the domestic market showed that the accumulated costs of contract manufacturing and imports increased the final price for local consumers, making product distribution very difficult. Similarly, visits to various processing plants in neighboring countries such as Peru and Colombia confirmed the absence of the specific technology required for this formulation.
Consequently, the production strategy was restructured, maintaining Italy as the manufacturing partner due to its rigorous quality standards, and focusing current efforts on introducing QUINY® to the European Union. This scientific and technological development was officially recognized in 2024 with the Bolivian National Science, Technology, and Innovation Award.
In my role as a researcher, I have collaborated on various projects focused on enhancing the value of Bolivian foods through their chemical and nutritional characterization and the development of functional foods. This work has resulted in over twenty international scientific publications, and has also allowed me to supervise undergraduate and graduate theses.
Finally, I embrace the daily privilege and challenge of motivating undergraduate and graduate students to persevere in scientific careers. With the clear objective of enhancing the value of Bolivian food and promoting our country's scientific sovereignty through our scientific research, we aim to transform economic and technological limitations into engines of innovation and resilience.