Columbia Alumni and Former Deans of Universidad de Chile Honored by Santiago Center

The Santiago Center and the School of Economics and Business (FEN) at Universidad de Chile, hosted a special event honoring two of their most distinguished former deans, Manuel Agosin and Joseph Ramos, both Columbia University graduates. The ceremony, held on October 7, was attended by over 90 faculty members, students, alumni, and members of the Columbia community in Chile.

Prominent figures such as Universidad de Chile president, Rosa Devés; Sergio Olavarrieta, the university's vice-provost for Economic Affairs and Institutional Management; Minister of Economy, Development, and Tourism, Nicolás Grau; Santiago Center Director, Antonio Campaña; and current FEN Dean, José De Gregorio, also participated in the event.

In his opening remarks, De Gregorio emphasized the lasting academic and personal legacy of Agosin and Ramos, acknowledging their critical role in modernizing FEN: "Everything we do today is because Joseph and Manuel paved the way. They were instrumental in improving infrastructure and training new generations." He also congratulated Columbia University for "having these two great alumni."

Campaña followed by reflecting on the longstanding relationship between Columbia University and Chile. He recalled notable Chileans who were educated at Columbia, such as Irma Salas, Erika Himmel, Corina Vargas, and Amanda Labarca, and poets Gabriela Mistral and Nicanor Parra, who taught at the university. He also mentioned the ties that several Chilean presidents, including Eduardo Frei Montalva, Patricio Aylwin, Sebastián Piñera, Michelle Bachelet, and Gabriel Boric, have maintained with the university. He noted that this long-standing connection led to the establishment of the Columbia Global Center Santiago in 2012, and the 2022 publication of the book Columbia University and Chile: Over 100 Years of History, which highlights this more than century-long academic and intellectual collaboration.

Minister Grau, an alumnus and former FEN academic, shared his experiences learning from Ramos and Agosin, emphasizing the relevance of these lessons in his current role.

Former students of the honorees also shared their experiences. Francisco Montes, General Manager of Nova Mineralis, met Ramos in 1999 during his first year as a student at FEN. "I was invited to speak about Joe Ramos, and that's something that's very easy because he is a very beloved person," he assured, emphasizing the academic's human qualities. In addition, he recounted that as a result of his classes and the opportunities for student interaction fostered by Ramos, he met a fellow student, with whom he has been married for 20 years.

Guillermo Valladares, a recent FEN graduate and Agosin’s teaching assistant, recounted the former dean’s welcome speech during his first year at FEN in 2017, in which he emphasized the importance of respecting and accepting others’ ideas, which "perfectly summarized his vision of academic and personal development."

He added that Agosin not only teaches his students how to understand economics or analyze data, but also how to find solutions, to continuously question and to not settle for easy answers. "His commitment to economic and social development, his dedication to training critical minds, and his constant pursuit of excellence make him an example to follow," he assured, "In this well-deserved recognition of his career, I want to thank you, Manuel, for everything you have given to the university, to the faculty, to the country, and to all of us who have had the privilege of learning from you," he concluded.

Finally, both honorees addressed the audience, highlighting the relevance of the institutions that formed them and how these values inspired them throughout their careers.

Born in Philadelphia, United States in 1938, Ramos completed all his academic life at Columbia University, where he obtained a Ph.D. in Economics (1968), a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering (1960), and a Bachelor of Arts (1959). After receiving Chilean citizenship by special grant, he was elected dean of FEN for the 2002-2006 period, leading a process of renewal, with improvements in infrastructure, technology, curricula, and the introduction of mandatory courses in English at the school. After his tenure as dean, he founded the School of Talents (EDT) in 2013, an initiative under FEN that identifies outstanding students from vocational-technical high schools, offering them comprehensive support to help them enter, succeed in, and graduate from higher education.

During his speech, he recounted anecdotes from his extensive academic career, underlining the importance of the opportunities he had throughout his life: "Columbia changed my life, and I owe that opportunity to a sergeant who motivated me to keep going," adding that "It is a privilege to have been educated at Columbia and a privilege to have been able to train so many generations of students at FEN, contributing to improving education in Chile."

Like his colleague, Agosin was also born in the United States in 1943, in the city of New York, to which he returned after graduating with a degree in Business and Economics from the University of Chile in 1966. There he earned a Master of Arts (1969) and a PhD in Economics (1972) at Columbia. After his graduate studies, he remained abroad for over two decades, working as an economist for the United Nations. He returned to Chile at the end of the dictatorship with the idea of contributing to the transition to democracy, joining the government of Patricio Aylwin. He arrived at FEN in 1992, where he continues to teach, research, and publish.

As dean of FEN from 2010 to 2018, Agosin’s tenure was marked by his efforts to promote equity in admissions through the implementation of the Preferential Access System for Educational Equity (SIPEE), which opened opportunities for vocational-technical students. He also advanced the internationalization of the school, tripling the number of students participating in exchange programs and establishing over 100 agreements with foreign universities.

At the end of his speech, Agosin concluded: "This is my home. I first knew it when it was located in a house in República Street that would leak in the winter and be unbearably hot in the summer. […] Regardless of one’s political preferences, when you are here, you think about what is best for your country," he assured.

All picture credits: Gloria Henríquez, Prensa Universidad de Chile.