Columbia and NYU Host Gathering to Tackle Chile’s Public Policy Challenges
During a two-day gathering in New York, over a hundred students, scholars, and researchers convened to discuss the most pressing topics on Chile’s public policy agenda. The annual "Encuentro Políticas Públicas Chile," now in its fourth iteration, was jointly hosted by Columbia University and New York University (NYU), with sponsorship from the Santiago Center. The event featured discussions on key political, economic, and social issues, alongside an exhibition showcasing research and entrepreneurship projects by Chilean students currently pursuing degrees at U.S. universities.
The first day, held at Columbia’s Low Library, began with a keynote address by Juan Gabriel Valdés, Chile’s Ambassador to the U.S., who addressed global threats to democracy, noting that Chile is not immune to these challenges. Following his speech was a panel discussion titled “The Road to a New Chilean Constitution,” featuring Claudia Heiss from Universidad de Chile, a Columbia alumna and member of the Santiago Center’s Advisory Board, and renowned constitutional lawyer Patricio Zapata. Andrew Arato, professor of Political and Social Theory at The New School for Social Research, moderated the discussion.
Attendees raised questions about the crisis of political legitimacy that has developed in Chile over recent decades, characterized by a drastic decline in electoral participation and growing distrust toward authorities. The panelists emphasized the significant role of the Political Constitution in this crisis of confidence, highlighting constitutional reform as essential to strengthening democracy.
The second panel focused on pension reform, with economists Claudia Sanhueza and Salvador Valdés presenting conflicting perspectives on the current system and the future direction of reform. Former Finance Minister Rodrigo Valdés concluded the first day with a masterclass that outlined the country’s economic progress in recent years, offering an optimistic outlook on Chile’s developmental trajectory.
The second day took place at NYU, beginning with presentations by Gonzalo Arteaga, Andrés Morán, and Eugenio Marcos, who shared their experiences with public-private partnerships in the mining sector. This was followed by a panel titled "Reforming the Chilean School System," which featured contrasting views on the elimination of primary school selection and enrollment systems, presented by IADB expert Gregory Elacqua, Princeton scholar Christopher Neilson, and CEP researcher Sylvia Eyzaguirre.
A discussion on immigration policy included presentations from experts Sonia Plaza, Miguel Yaksic, and Alexandra Délano. Yaksic highlighted the challenges Chile faces with the current wave of migration, stressing the importance of recognizing immigrants as individuals of dignity and value, rather than merely as economic contributors to national development.
In the final panel, economists Claudia Martínez and Valentina Paredes examined gender gaps in education and the labor market. The gathering concluded with a session led by Ignacio Sanchez, President of Universidad Católica, who discussed the ongoing process of reform in higher education.