Pinhas Zamorano

Luksic Scholarship at Sciences Po

Before finishing his undergraduate degree, Pinhas Zamorano, an economics major from the University of Chile, had known that he wanted to go abroad to study a master’s degree in Public Policy to build upon his previously-gained knowledge. In his opinion, “to work in public service, it is crucial to have different perspectives when designing, implementing and evaluating social measures. That is why I considered studying in a multicultural environment would help broaden my vision in various topics”.

With this goal in mind, Zamorano began his search for an ideal master’s program and he started narrowing down on program location and duration. This is when the French university, Sciences Po, came up as a suitable option given that it offered a transversal view of public service processes and also provided flexibility for students to choose between different specialties and courses that allowed for a deepening of knowledge in areas that are of the most interest to economics majors. Zamorano also adds that, “I knew that there would be a lot of diversity amongst my peers in París and that was important to me.”

In 2021 his wish came true and the Chilean left his home in Santiago, Metropolitan Region, to travel to France to pursue his master’s degree with the support of the Luksic Scholars Foundation’s Luksic Scholarship for Public Service at Sciences Po – a scholarship granted directly by Sciences Po to accepted students via their financial aid processes. Since then, he says, he has learned and lived practical experiences that have strengthened his professional development, such as the simulation of extensive negotiations, or the opportunity to take part in classes taught by world-renowned academics and economists.

In terms of advice that he would give to others who are considering a postgraduate program abroad, he specifies that “one of the most important things is to review the program courses, both the mandatory and non-mandatory ones, to see if they make sense for what you want for your professional future. He also suggests reading the additional recommended literature of your classes, or at least of the classes that matter most to you, considering that time is short.

Regarding his future career goals, Pinhas points out that he would like to work in sustainability, which happens to an area that he is already exploring as he now forms part of the International Climate Action Program (IPAC) for the Organization for Cooperation and Development Economic Development (OECD), an internationally recognized organization in the world of public policy.

Camila Valenzuela

Luksic Scholarship at the Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford

Legal Advisor on Public Policy at the Society for Industrial Development (SOFOFA)

“A big part of me choosing to study in the UK was the culture. I love the sense of community there. During my time at the University of Oxford [whilst completing the Master of Public Policy at the Blavatnik School of Government], many of us within the program were international students, and as such, we needed to build a network of support and community, and we did just that. This was similar to my first experience in the UK when I completed an undergraduate semester abroad at the University of Sussex [in 2012]. During this exchange, I made some good friends who became like family and I really felt at home with them. I also visited Oxford in that same year and knew at some point I wanted to go back so my journey has really come full circle.

Studying abroad during a time in which there were many lockdowns and restrictions due to the pandemic was challenging, especially with my young kids at home. All of these previous notions and fantasies I had of what it would be like to obtain a Master’s degree abroad had completely changed – it became more about survival. Thankfully, I had the support of an amazing study group. They became my closest friends and we were a huge pillar of support for each other. This interestingly goes hand-in-hand with an MPP and learning about public policy – that you learn how to work well in teams, divide responsibilities, build groups of support, and rely on each other. 

The best part of the MPP program was the people, hands-down, and the diversity of our cohort, too. We’re all from different backgrounds, we have different skills, and we’re involved in different sectors.

The best part of the MPP program was the people, hands-down, and the diversity of our cohort, too. We’re all from different backgrounds, we have different skills, and we’re involved in different sectors. Many of my greatest takeaways are from my classmates directly. They have very inspiring stories and those shed light on the very different realities that exist in the world. They take you far away from your normal life and bring inspiration and a new sense of urgency to the spirit of public service. It’s about young people being agents of change in their communities and in the world. 

To me, it was always clear that I had a social responsibility and commitment to fulfill, and I knew I could contribute to that by working in law and public policy.

The Master of Public Policy program has certainly shaped a different professional path for me, not only due to the program itself but also because I had chosen to deviate from the traditional steps one takes when they study law, which is to receive your LLB degree and then move on to an LLM. To me, it was always clear that I had a social responsibility and commitment to fulfill, and I knew I could contribute to that by working in law and public policy. I chose the MPP program because I love public policy and I want to continue working in this field, and, with this degree, I’m certain many more doors will open for me.

In terms of future opportunities, I would like to further my studies, whether that be through another Master’s program or even a Doctorate. There are a couple of subjects I’d like to dig deeper into, such as political science, economics, and the politics of policymaking. I didn’t expect to enjoy these subjects as much as I did, but after taking these courses via the MPP program, I’m intrigued and curious to learn more. I feel that I now have a solid foundation behind these topics which is useful and I’m hoping to apply what I’ve learned to the position I hold now and wherever I may go in the future.”

Luksic Scholar, Camila Valenzuela, received her Bachelor’s in Law from Universidad Católica de Chile in 2012. She received her Master’s in Public Policy 2020-2021 from the Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford, UK, as part of the class of 2020-2021.

Ignacio Puente

MIT Political Science Luksic Fellowship

Consultant at Bain & Company

Seeking to better understand the fundamental aspects of Argentine politics and with the hope of finding answers to the phenomena of political instability affecting his country as well as other neighboring Latin countries, Ignacio Puente was inspired to choose political science as his academic and professional path.

As a result, Ignacio received his Bachelor’s in Political Science and Government from the Universidad Torcuato Di Tella in Argentina, and upon graduating, he went on to complete a Master’s in Economics at the Universidad de San Andrés, also within the same country, to improve his quantitative skills. He then entered the private equity world but started to feel more drawn to academia. “Everyone I worked with was applying to the MIT MBA program, but I was more attracted to academia and wanted to do a PhD, so I made the decision to do it.”

Aspiring to combine both the private sector and academia in his career, Ignacio enrolled in MIT’s PhD in Political Science in 2014 to embark on this 12-semester program through which students explore the empirical phenomena that produce new scholarly insights, with classes in statistics, empirical research methods, and political philosophy, as well as field research.

Reflecting on his experience, Ignacio says, “MIT is a wonderful program. I was able to do a lot of field research, traveling to many different cities in Latin America, such as Argentina, my home country, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, and Mexico, over a two-year period. I was also able to meet and collaborate with other international students within the program who were not only from Latin America but also from other parts of the world. Our cohort was between 10 and 12 people and approximately half of them were international.”

Ignacio attributes MIT’s PhD in Political Science program to providing him with a unique international perspective on political science and political economy, as well as helping him understand how to fit business into this equation, as he is interested in combining both the private world and academia within his career. “Without this PhD, I would not have known about all these opportunities that are now available to me. The program changed me and gave me opportunities that I never would have thought of having in Argentina.”

His advice to others looking to complete a graduate program is to network and reach out to those who are currently studying or who have completed a graduate degree as you can learn a lot from their perspective. He also says it’s okay to try out non-traditional paths to see what works for you. “I tried out the private sector and then academia, and I’m glad I did so because then I was able to make the most informed decision regarding my career path – trying it out and having a bit of back-and-forth is okay.”

Ignacio Loeser

Luksic Scholarship at LSE — Master of Public Administration (MPA)

Luksic Scholar at The London School of Economics

“I started my professional career working in the National Economic Prosecutor’s Office assessing the potential competitive effects of mergers. I became passionate about Competition Policy and Economic Consulting because of the stimulating, challenging and rewarding professional environment; you are always pushing your boundaries and learning new things, to later apply them to your work. 

I chose to study in the UK, specifically at The London School of Economics (LSE), because I found the flexible nature of their MPA program very appealing. I have been taking courses through different departments at LSE, specializing in competition topics. I have learned about machine learning, industrial organization, data science, survey methodology, and multiple tools that are extremely useful for competition policy analysis. And of course, alongside the actual program, there’s the appeal of living and studying in the city of London. 

The cross-cultural experience here has been great. I have made friends from all around the world, and have acknowledged that even though we come from countries with completely different realities, we have a lot in common. It was surprising to understand how much I share, as a Chilean citizen, with people from India, for example.

After my MPA I will work in the private sector at an economic consulting firm in London. I made that decision given the opportunities to grow professionally and the stimulating work they do. I will be able to apply different tools I’ve learned, such as econometrics, data science, and economic theory, to test different hypotheses in varied markets.

This overall experience has provided me with the tools to better understand and analyze market dynamics, which are crucial requirements for good policy design in Competition Policy. I am deeply impressed by how much I have learned since I started the program. LSE is a modern and global university where you learn from great professors and brilliant classmates from all around the world. I am thrilled with my decision to come here; I feel challenged and motivated, and I know I have the tools to succeed.

If I were to give advice to someone looking to do this program, I’d say be very mindful about your course selection. As in every university, you will have courses that are better than others, or that are more aligned with your interests. Talk to students that have taken those courses that interest you, as your course selection can make a huge difference to your academic experience.”

Susana Machado

Schwarzman Scholars Luksic Fellowship

Luksic Fellow at Schwarzman College, Tsinghua University

When I was 13 years old, I started taking part in debates via Model United Nations and they were about the international agenda and how the world’s most pressing issues were affecting people at both local and global levels. These experiences made me realize the ability of young people to solve highly complex problems, and I truly believe this group will be the one responsible for breaking the cycle of poverty between generations and propelling countries forward. Therefore, I decided to pursue a Master’s degree in Global Leadership as a Schwarzman Scholar at Tsinghua University. Apart from my academic background, I have dedicated the past six years to creating initiatives to reduce inequalities through my non-profit, Acesso. Awarded in the UN Headquarters in 2017 and invited by the Government of Sikkim, India, to visit and share best practices in 2019, Acesso has helped +70,000 vulnerable young people in Brazil develop self-knowledge and the necessary skills to enter the job market. 

The world is experiencing an unprecedented size of young people: 1.8 billion of which 90% come from developing countries. In other words, I firmly believe the investment in this age group will determine the leaders we will have in the near future. In my opinion, besides the necessary changes within the country, the lack of Brazil’s youth representativeness in international decision-making environments is an issue that should be addressed. Therefore, I became the Brazilian Ambassador to one of the world’s largest and most important leadership and sustainable development conferences. My goal was to create a formal and continuous representation of Brazil among the other +100 countries as part of that biannual gathering. As a result, in 2018, Brazil became the largest delegation in all 24 editions when it reached the number of 83 delegates, while most countries’ delegations have a maximum of 10 people. 

I believe the main force that drives the development of young people is education; however, unfortunately, not everyone has a similar starting point. To bridge this gap, I decided to create a pioneering scholarship program in Brazil named “Youth in the UN” (Jovens an ONU, in Portuguese). This program provided a fully-funded opportunity to young Brazilians of color and the LGBTQI+ community to attend this International Conference at the United Nations. In addition to those scholars who were directly impacted, more than 1,000 other young people benefited from the program with peer mentorship to develop projects that could help Brazil reach the 17 SDGs and from lectures in low-income communities.

In the coming years, I hope I will find (and why not create) opportunities to work with young leaders in Latin America to expand educational development in the region and join efforts to prepare our next young leaders.

Salvador Lagos

Babson Chilean Symposium for Entrepreneurship Educators (SEE), Babson Luksic Fellows

Business Executive at IncubaUdeC, Universidad de Concepción

During my career, I have realized that collaboration and connections are among the most important aspects that have strengthened our entrepreneurial ecosystem. Our country [Chile] has enormous potential for entrepreneurship and growth, and in order to harness this, we must learn from other ecosystems, such as that of Babson College. Their professors have instilled in me a way of teaching and approaching teaching with a broader and more collaborative view.

Their professors have instilled in me a way of teaching and approaching teaching with a broader and more collaborative view.

When I found out I was awarded and chosen for the Babson Luksic Fellows program by the Babson professors, I felt deeply grateful and I understood that I had a responsibility to improve my skills in order to pass these along to my students and that being an entrepreneur and starting a business should be part of everyone’s DNA. During the initial symposium organized here in Chile (the Babson SEE program), I met many colleagues who had already traveled to complete the Babson Luksic Fellows program on campus. It was enriching to hear their stories and experiences because it helped broaden my vision of what my role should be and is in the entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Our on-campus experience was eagerly awaited as it had been postponed for more than a year due to the pandemic; nonetheless, the enthusiasm and expectations to learn and improve had always remained high. I thank the Babson professors and the Luksic Scholars Foundation for not giving up on this cohort and for waiting and providing us with the incentive and resources to actually make it happen in November 2021. Whilst at Babson, I was able to sit in on classes with their students and experience what Babson is like day-to-day, and this is undoubtedly enriching for me as a professional.

Whilst at Babson, I was able to sit in on classes with their students and experience what Babson is like day-to-day, and this is undoubtedly enriching for me as a professional.

Now, as Business Executive of IncubaUdeC at Universidad de Concepcion, I have a fundamental role in supporting the generation of scientific- and technological-based ventures, promoting the creation of new businesses, and teaching pre- and post-graduate students to develop their entrepreneurial skillsets; all in an effort to help students increase their chances of obtaining public resources and achieving overall success. These are the guidelines and inspiration by which I follow, and these have only become more robust and sharpened since my experience at Babson College.

I am most grateful to Matt, Andrew, Nan, Sasha, and the Luksic Scholars Foundation for giving me the opportunity to be part of the 2021 Babson Luksic Fellows program.

The Babson Luksic Fellows program is a one-week deep dive on campus at Babson College for Chilean university professors who have previously completed the Babson SEE or Babson SEE Antofagasta programs which are held in Chile. Salvador’s cohort completed their Babson SEE/Antofagasta programs in 2019 and was finally able to travel in 2021 for their Babson Luksic Fellows experience.

Marijan Gubic

Harvard Kennedy School Luksic Fellowships for Chile & Croatia

Former advisor to the first president of Croatia - CEO of Strategic Global Insights and the Indigenous Education Foundation.

Born in Croatia and currently residing in Australia, Marijan holds a Bachelor’s degree in Laws, Politics, and History, as well as a Master’s degree in International Affairs from Monash University (Australia). At Monash, he also tutored politics and worked as a researcher at the Melbourne University Centre for Russian & Euro-Asian Studies (CREAS). He’s currently the Chief Executive Officer of Strategic Global Insights, an independent consultancy that advises companies on significant global business and investment opportunities, and the CEO of the Indigenous Education Foundation (IEF), a foundation with a mission to advance education equity for indigenous people globally.

“When I finally entered university, my world shifted. The world of academia is a wonderful sphere, but I knew at some point I wanted to be involved in global diplomacy and establish my own business. The one thing that I learned at university was that the future will be very different from the past. Tomorrow will always be a moving target, but the process of rethinking the future is a creative, reiterative, and never-ending process if we bring the right mindset to the table.  Good diplomacy works successfully within a high trust culture and the ability to shape the future. Diplomats only have influence, presence with character and fortitude, and trust in their toolbox, they do not command armies or fleets.”

Marijan is an alumnus of the J. F. Kennedy School of Government of Harvard University, through which he completed the Luksic Scholars Foundation’s Harvard Kennedy School Luksic Fellowships for Chile and Croatia in 2012.

“The best part of the experience was the onboarding process. At the end of the program, both Peter Morse and Jeff Swiryn, personally reached out to ask me how my experience was. I viewed that as a wonderful, graceful way of them saying, ‘we appreciate you being part of this,’ and my ability to say ‘thank you for allowing me to be part of this experience in return.’ As for the post-program, alumni experience: you all have a different approach to what I’ve seen in other alumni communities. This network is not like a classical alumni system. It’s far more engaging.”

Tomorrow will always be a moving target, but the process of rethinking the future is a creative, reiterative and never-ending process if we bring the right mindset to the table.  

Regarding the program, “the development of an enthusiastic mindset and approach to problem-solving, and that’s a direct benefit by sitting in a classroom at Harvard in that particular course. The other is, and this is where I think Harvard excels in encouraging its alumni to bring new students into the faculty and into a program, that they’ve encouraged me to become an advocate of the program, whereas the Luksic Scholars Foundation has encouraged me to be a change agent in my community.”

Valentina Contador

Luksic Scholarship for Chile-China Undergraduate Exchange

Information Engineering and Management Control Graduate- Universidad de Chile

I was lucky to win a scholarship to go to China for a semester. It was not an easy decision to leave everything here in Chile to go to the other side of the world, a 24-hour flight (35 hours if you count the stopovers) from my country, quite far from everything I knew and with a culture often opposed to ours.

I could understand that we live on a planet with infinite possibilities, but that to take them you have to take risks.”

In Chile we know very little about the culture that the exact opposite country on the globe has; Mainly due to language and government barriers (Google, Facebook, Instagram, Netflix and a lot of other websites are blocked for people living in China).

But, for that reason, I believe that there are few events in life that make you turn everything you know to change forever the way you see and think. One of those changes was given to me by the Luksic Scholarship, that allowed me to live and study in China for 6 months. There I learned many things that are done so differently on the other side of the world, that I could understand that we live on a planet with infinite possibilities, but that to take them, you have to take risks and realize that there is not only one side of the story, there is not one only one truth nor one single reality. Breaking that bubble meant the opening of many doors, both in the workplace and in the personal world.

Kevin Barry

Faculty Exchange Luksic Grants

Senior Director of Notre Dame Learning and the Director of Kaneb Center for Teaching Excellence at the University of Notre Dame (USA).

“For me, the Luksic Scholars experience is an opportunity that continues. Around the time of my program, I had several projects going on and was trying to understand how educational development in the North American context compared to what was happening in Latin America. Under a Fulbright scholarship, I ended up working at the learning center at Universidad de Talca for a few weeks and had also met a few people at Universidad Católica who I connected with at Notre Dame, namely Gonzalo Pizarro. Finally, when this opportunity came about [the Faculty Exchange Grant Luksic], I knew there was a teaching center at Universidad Católica and thought it would be great to see how that center was working and maybe could share some things that were working for us at Notre Dame.

This idea of exchange/intercambio, much like the experience I had with the exchange family from Peru, was terrific. There was also a second exchange that happened with another person at the Kaneb Center and a Spanish language instructor in Chile, and following that, another scholar ended up visiting Notre Dame, so it was not just a single event; rather it was a series of opportunities to have these exchanges to share of knowledge and understand different contexts, and this was really fulfilling to me.

My combined experiences in Latin America also changed the way I overtly describe what I do. You’ll notice in my bio it says I “accompany” instructors and there’s a reason behind that term. I first heard it when I was in the Fulbright program, and since then I’ve done some research into the word “acompañamiento” asking myself: “what does that mean? what does it mean in a Latin American context?”

For me, the Luksic Scholars experience is an opportunity that continues.”

I came to the conclusion that I feel when I do my work best, and other educational developers do their work best, this idea is what best captures that: we come as someone who walks alongside, we accompany; we’re never going to be the expert in their field but we can converse and share ideas together to help create wonderful learning experiences for students.“

María Loreto Jiménez

Conducting Business in China - CMIX

Civil Engineer and MBA Universidad Católica de Chile

In 2013, while doing the MBA at the PUC, I participated in the China Immersion program CMIX which allowed me, in an immersive way, not only to understand and know how business is done in China, but also that country’s culture, which explains the way they are related.
Thanks to Luksic Scholars, it was possible to take a two-week trip to China, meet Chilean companies with operations there, Chinese companies interested in doing business in Chile, and large companies such as Lenovo. It was a great experience, which I recommend a 100%

In August 2019 I had the opportunity to participate in the conference about The Future Of Work, in Sao Paulo, Brazil, carried out by the MIT.

Although machines will be able to perform increasingly complex tasks, they cannot replace men / women in everything that requires empathy.”

Before attending these conferences, I had an idea of ​​what technological advances could mean in automating tasks, and in solving more complex problems, but I wondered if, at some point, machines would succeed in replacing us.

Throughout the conferences we saw how, rather than replacing people, technological advances have improved the way work is performed, achieving better and better results in less time. In this way, according to MIT experts, the competencies and skills that we must learn are: critical thinking, complex problem solving, creativity, people management and constant learning.

Other issues on which most of the experts agreed were that, although machines will be able to perform increasingly complex tasks, they cannot replace men / women, in everything that requires empathy, for example, things related to caring for people. And, on the other hand, what entails creativity since, the latter, is not based on creating solutions based on previous patterns, as Machine Learning does.

The opportunity to listen to these presentations by world-class experts allowed me to see from the front row how the future is being built, and to reflect from my side on how I can contribute to make it more equitable and inclusive. I hope that many more have the possibility to be part of these experiences that connect us with the best researchers in the world, and that without being part of the Luksic Scholars community, I would not have had the opportunity to attend.