Columbia College Undergrad Researches Chile’s Voucher System

September 13, 2019

Columbia College history and economics major Pallavi Sreedhar stayed in Chile mid-July to beginning August, researching the country’s education voucher system.

The junior undergrad was able to carry out the study thanks to the Lubar Family Research Fellowship, which provides funding for students to conduct independent research.

“Through the Lubar Fellowship, I decided to combine my interests in politics, economics, and education to research education policy in Chile and specifically the nationwide voucher system that was implemented during the Pinochet dictatorship,” she says. “I conducted interviews with university professors, researchers, and government officials across the political spectrum to try to better understand the range of opinions on the voucher system in Chile from the political left to right.”

The Lubar Family Research Fellowship is awarded annually to Columbia College students who wish to pursue summer research in the field of Latin American politics or policy-making related to economic development and improved standards of living within Latin America and the Caribbean nations. Based on her experience, Streedhar highly recommends other undergraduates to make use of the Columbia Global Centers and different funding opportunities to conduct independent research and explore a new country.