Hugo Wood

Schwarzman Scholars Luksic Fellowship

Schwarzman Scholar and Global Shaper

Two years ago, I never thought I would be spending one year of my life in China…

I am a lawyer, social entrepreneur and human development advocate. I also served as Public Policy Advisor and Chief Speechwriter to the Vice-President and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Panama and was the Founder and Director of the largest debate student tournament in the history of Panama.

The whole Schwarzman experience will enable me to build a stronger link between China and Latin America, and I am grateful to have been the first Luksic Fellow in this extraordinary program.”

But in 2017, as part of the Panamanian government delegation, I witnessed President Xi Jinping’s first speech at the World Economic Forum Davos Annual Meeting, where I was fascinated by the aspirations of a country that was once isolated, and is now betting on globalization, inclusion and international cooperation. I realized that to truly understand China’s rise, I had to go there, ideally to live an experience that offered me true insights about its expanding role in the world. The only place I could find to achieve this goal was Schwarzman College at Tsinghua University.

Since the moment I arrive to its top-notch facility, with state-of the art- infrastructure, I knew I was in the right place. At Schwarzman College we have access to an unparalleled mix of bright and diverse peers, world-renowned faculty and learning opportunities with leaders from China and the world through high-level interactions at lectures, an internship program, a mentors network, and intensive deep-dive travel seminars.

The whole Schwarzman experience will enable me to build a stronger link between China and Latin America, and I am grateful to have been the first Luksic Fellow in this extraordinary program.