Silvia Ojeda Garcia

Lecturer, Edinburgh College of Art, University of Edinburgh

Silvia Garcia is the Programme Director for Interior Design at SCF, bringing over 15 years of international experience across Latin America, Europe, and Asia. With a background in architecture and advanced studies in education, she specializes in culturally responsive spatial  design and  place-making  methodologies . Her  leadership  focuses on developing student-centered curricula and fostering inclusive learning environments in multicultural classrooms .  She   guides   students   through   conceptual  exploration  and   professional preparation, emphasizing material research, contextual understanding, and cross-cultural dialogue in design education.

Silvia  Ojeda  García  is  Lecturer  and  Programme  Director  for Interior Design at  SCF  (Edinburgh) ,  with over  25  years of professional and academic experience across Latin  America ,  Europe , and  Asia .  Trained  as  an  architect  in  Chile and Spain ,  and with postgraduate studies in management, photography , and education , she began her career in   architectural  and  interior  practice  before  moving  into   higher   education  .  Her  international career has included senior  design  roles  in Vietnam and academic  directorship in India,where she developed industry partnerships,international collaborations,and curriculum initiatives that connected students with practice on a global scale.

Since joining Edinburgh College of Art in 2015, Silvia has taught across design programmes and contributed to the University of Edinburgh’s transnational education partnership with  SCF. In  recent  years , she  has  served  as  Convener  of  the  School  of  Design ’s  undergraduate and postgraduate taught exam boards , contributing to quality assurance and academic governance. This dual engagement enables her to build strong connections between the School of Design and SCF, bridging contexts and highlighting best practice.

Her  teaching  interests  centre on the cultural dimensions of  spatial design ,  the role of memory and material in placemaking ,  and  the  translation  of  mixed-media references into three-dimensional space. As Year 2 Course Organiser at SCF, she guides students in discovering  design  as  both  process  and  dialogue,encouraging  them to  explore form, material, and concept through analogue and digital methods, innovative idea development, contextual research, and professional practice.  As a collaborator in Year  4  delivery, she supports students in balancing professional practice with design theory, ensuring they are well prepared for the challenges of the industry.

At programme level, Silvia’s leadership focuses on curriculum design, feedback strategies, and student-centred learning in multicultural classrooms. She is committed to fostering inclusive, reflective, and globally engaged design education—an environment where students can test ideas, embrace experimentation, and build resilience as designers . In  2025,  she obtained a  PgCap  qualification and Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy, with her  studies  devoted  to  exploring  feedback  strategies  in  multicultural classrooms and  gaining deeper insight into learning and dialogue in transnational settings.