UN-ECLAC

Escuela de Verano en Economías Latinoamericanas en Chile
(UN-ECLAC Summer School on Latin American Economies in Chile)

Hyemin Kim

(M.D Candidate in Latin American Studies)

1. Basic Information

2. Description

  Summer School on Latin American Economies is designed and designated at the graduate studies level for those who are interested in pursuing their further researches on Latin American socio-economic affairs. I was more than privileged to be a participant of this summer program not only because Economic commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) where I was studying is one of the biggest regional branches of the United Nation located in the capital of Chile, Santiago, but also because ECLAC has been a place where a number of significant Latin American Economists such as Raul Prebisch, Celso Furtado, and etc. has developed and implemented their independent economic thoughts for the region. In that sense, having this valuable opportunity of spending three months in Chile, without a doubt, provided me one of the most important turning points for both my academic career and my personal growth. A couple of seminars related to Latin American economic development models, their fiscal management, policy making, and social problem solving methodologies were daily given in order to help students elaborate their own field of interest. As I am deeply engaged to Latin America’s social situations along with the application of social policies for the marginalized groups in the area, I acquired a great deal of information and expanded a propound academic boundary that eventually enabled me to develop my own point of view in doing the research.

The majority of students are from one of the Latin American countries, which made it easier to get exposed to the contemporary issues for discussions, conversations, and debates. What surprised me most was the fact that Korean economic development model has been broadly studied in Latin America as a blueprint for their own establishment of stable economy. Many people are largely interested in Korea’s industrialization procedures, as well as its strategy for accomplishing both development and distribution systems. My research paper was based on inequality issue and social mobilization among Guatemalan indigenous population. I was being taught how to utilize a variety of useful approaches for further studies thanks to the academic environments given to us during the summer school. Every one of employees was willing to help us, including the lecturers, tutors, secretaries, assistants, and so on. In addition to this, ECLAC’s library was a repository of information on Latin American economics. The library was small but it had a well-established networking system that they could manage to obtain all kinds of information we needed on our request.

After finishing up the school, I realized that I earned more than I had expected. I not only developed my perspective on how to elaborate my research paper, but also became a friend to a number of Latin American economists and scholars who will be the future leaders of the region. Thus I would like to recommend each and every one of students who might have had their genuine interest in Latin American economic studies to participate in this priceless opportunity.