The Luksic Business Analytics Scholarships Program Concludes After Training About Twenty Professionals at MIT and the University of Chile

After three generations of professionals trained in data-driven decision-making at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the University of Chile, this year saw the graduation of the latest group of twelve Luksic Scholars from the Master’s program and the certificate program in Business Analytics sponsored by the Luksic Foundation.

The Luksic Scholarships for Business Analytics, offered by the School of Economics and Business at the University of Chile and MIT, began in 2023 with the goal of strengthening data- and evidence-based decision-making in the country.

For two weeks, students are fully immersed at MIT, participating in intensive courses focused on data-driven strategic leadership, artificial intelligence, machine learning , and business analytics.

Javier Herrada, a recipient of the Luksic Fellowship and a sociologist with more than ten years of experience in public administration, social program management, and data analysis, stated that the knowledge they gain “can benefit Chile by guiding public policy toward impact, through optimization models to allocate scarce resources based on explicit criteria, and (quasi)experimental designs to rigorously measure which initiatives actually improve people’s lives.”

Another of the selected candidates, Florencia Ávila, is an engineerspecializes in database management and analysis, noted that “having the opportunity to gain firsthand insight into the research that sets the global standard in areas such as artificial intelligence, data analytics, and leadership allowed me to broaden my perspective and develop a new way of looking at data from a more strategic standpoint.”

The MIT campus experience includes lectures by world-class scholars, visits to leading companies in technological innovation, and networking , and cultural tours of the city of Cambridge and the university campus. Upon completion of the program, Luksic Scholars receive their certificates and become part of the MIT alumni network.

Florencia Rubio, also a Luksic Scholar and an engineer with experience in modeling, process optimization, and data analysis, emphasized that the real difference lies not only in technology, but in how organizations manage and analyze their information: the data already exists within organizations, regardless of the industry; “with trained teams and an analytical and strategic approach, it is possible to make a very significant impact.”

Along the same lines, but with regard to the public sector, Héctor Andrés Horta, a commercial engineer and Luksic Scholar, stated that “government agencies must invest in artificial intelligence with a strong focus on accessibility for all segments of the population, thereby driving the country’s development.”

With this latest cohort, the program concludes after three years of training local talent at one of the world’s most renowned academic institutions. Trinidad García, director of International Education at the Luksic Foundation, praised and highlighted the sustained collaboration with the School of Economics and Business (FEN) at the University of Chile and MIT over the years. “This type of collaboration reaffirms our commitment to continuing to promote international training opportunities that contribute to the development of students and professionals in Chile, thereby contributing to the country’s growth.”

If you’re interested in pursuing graduate studies abroad, check out the programs currently offered by the Luksic Foundation.