Ana María Osorio Guzmán, Professor, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Paraná & Universidad del Norte

To help current students and recent graduates navigate the world of work, several USI Alumni shared their career paths and career story. Here the story of Ana María Osorio Guzmán, Professor at Pontificia Universidad Católica de Paraná in Brazil and at the Universidad del Norte in Bogotá (Colombia). USI Degree: Master in Architecture, 2006.

How did you start your career?

Back in Colombia, for the first years, I worked as an architect in a private office and as a technical assistant in public institutions related to urban planning, while I began a teaching formation. Then, I did a Master's in Geography and worked full-time as a researcher and lecturer in subjects such as architecture, environment, urbanism, and urban-regional planning. Lately, I did a Ph.D. in Urban Management in Curitiba, Brazil, where I developed an urban-regional model for adaptation to climate change in intermediate Andean cities.

Why did you choose a career in these Universities?

PUCPR and UniNorte are excellent Universities in Brazil and Colombia, with postgraduate programs and research groups focused on urban studies in the Latin American context.

What is your current role/duties?

At PUCPR, as a post-doc, I research the transformative ideas for Latin American cities proposed by Jaime Lerner (Brazil) and Germán Samper (Colombia), their complementarity and vanguard, in terms of sustainability.
At UniNorte, I support the process of formulation, development, and evaluation of research projects at the Master in Urbanism and Territorial Development.

In your opinion, what are the qualities necessary for a successful career in a University?

Some necessary qualities within the academic career are insatiable curiosity; continuous learning; objective communication; systemic, critical, and analytical thinking; organization and planning capacity; appreciation for teamwork and networking.

What positive aspects and qualities meant most to you during the study programme you attended?

The humanistic formation at Accademia di Architettura di Mendrisio was an enriching experience that left seeds that have grown afterward, along with my professional career and post-graduate studies. I trained the sensibility for landscape and urban coherence; the understanding of the city in its complexity, and its materiality as a form of art; the appreciation of local solutions.

What competences and/or skills acquired in your USI Study Program have been useful/are useful to your professional career?

The international experience in Switzerland and Germany (where I did an Erasmus exchange) allows me to approach the topics of interest with a broad perspective and technical precision, speak several languages, and contribute to international networks.

What is your advice to USI students entering the job market?

My advice to students is to embrace the subjects that make their eyes bright. I also recommend diverse international experiences (professional, academic, leisure), as well as a local commitment to share their knowledge and resources for the best purposes in this convulsed world.