Belén Muñoz, the Chilean who now analyzes the world’s energy challenges from London
From her school years, Belén Muñoz stood out for her talent and eagerness to learn. Starting in eighth grade, she began building a path that led her to study Engineering at the University of Chile, pursue a master’s degree at Oxford, and work at the World Energy Council in London, where she designs spaces for international dialogue with industry leaders.
Belén Muñoz’s eagerness to learn was with her from an early age. Her interest in mathematics led her to develop her academic abilities and dream of becoming a professional, following her grandfather’s advice, who would tell her that she needed to go to university to become an inventor. However, higher education was not a common path among those around her: her grandparents did not finish school, her parents were able to complete technical studies, and most of her school classmates did not go on to university.
When she was in eighth grade, she participated in the Chilean School Mathematics Championship (CEMET), an initiative in which different universities across the country invited elementary and high school students to test their knowledge and skills in the subject. Because of her strong performance in the competition, she was able to join a support program run by Universidad de Santiago and Fundación Luksic. The program provided her with funds that she could use at her own discretion throughout her school and university years and also created opportunities for scholarship recipients to meet people who had built outstanding professional careers. Many of them came from backgrounds similar to hers: “They would bring someone who had studied at Harvard, but whose parents worked at street markets. There were mountaineers, mathematicians who worked in academia, business, or astronomy. For the first time, I was hearing stories like mine,” Belén recalls.
The young woman admits that she did not always feel that those around her believed she could achieve good results. In that context, the support she received took on a meaning that went far beyond the financial aspect. “It was the first time I had proof that someone believed in me. It felt like someone was saying to me: ‘I believe in you, and that’s why I’m going to make things possible for you in a practical way,’” she recalls.
And that is exactly what happened: Belén earned the highest possible score in Language and went on to study Engineering at the University of Chile. After completing her studies, she began her professional career at the Ministry of Energy, an experience that deepened her interest in public policy.
Driven by this interest, she decided to take another step in her education and applied to the Master of Public Policy at the Blavatnik School of Government at the University of Oxford, as well as the Luksic Scholarship at Oxford, which provides full funding to Chilean citizens accepted into the Master of Public Policy. Her efforts paid off: she was accepted into the program and received the scholarship.
Today, Belén is fulfilling another dream. She lives in London and works at the World Energy Council, an international organization present in more than 100 countries and bringing together more than 3,000 companies from the energy sector. She leads the Insights team, which is responsible for assessing and highlighting strategic issues, as well as designing spaces for international dialogue with industry leaders, public-sector authorities, and civil society representatives.
“All those opportunities were essential in helping me move forward and build my own path. Thanks to them, I am here today, working for the World Energy Council, on a mission that I am passionate about and putting my education and experience at the service of people. Fundación Luksic holds a very special place in my heart, and I deeply value everything it has meant throughout my journey. It supported me during my school years, then throughout my undergraduate studies, and, more recently, during the master’s degree I completed at Oxford,” she explains.
For Macarena Cea, General Manager of Fundación Luksic, Belén’s journey represents precisely one of the convictions behind the organization’s work: “Her story is a very good representation of what we seek to do as a foundation. She had the abilities, but she needed opportunities to fully develop them. From eighth grade onward, we were able to provide her with concrete support so that she could learn about the world of engineering and accompany her through a significant part of her journey. Today, she is working for an international energy organization in London. For us, this demonstrates the value of believing in people and giving them the tools they need to build their own future.”
