Nuria Sánchez Celemín
I am passionate about aeronautics and about finding solutions for the essential issues that confront humankind today: ethical leadership, conflict prevention, gender equity and conservation. My inspirations include Jacinta Ardern for her values in leading New Zealand; Greta Gerwig, whose delicate storytelling amplifies the voices of women; and my dad, who showed me that it’s always possible to change your life and be happy. My guiding motto is “Per aspera ad astra”—through hardships to the stars—because I believe that overcoming obstacles helps us reach our goals.
"It was clear to me that I had to find an institution that would enhance my learning, and at the same time share my values, to ensure that they would guide me in the right direction."
Shared values and a strategic global perspective
Nuria Sánchez has built a distinguished career as an aeronautical engineer, having spent the past decade in various aviation roles. She now works for Airbus, specializing in the field of quality and safety. However, in recent years she has seen the aviation sector come under social pressure to reduce greenhouse gasses and combat climate change.
While Nuria recognizes that the aviation industry is aware of this need for transformation and has already started to tackle the issue of emissions reduction, she’s also conscious of the regulatory boundaries and complexity involved in the industry. Additionally, she feels the industry’s leadership model is in need of renewal.
This was what prompted Nuria to redirect her career, seeking a strategic path that would allow her to meet the challenges that her industry will face in the near future. She decided to look for a master’s program at an institution that would both enhance her learning and share her values—and she found it in the Executive Master in International Development at IE University.
A degree in international development may not seem like the most obvious choice for an aeronautical engineer, but Nuria has always been driven by her values and her passions. Her role models are people who demonstrate a “determination to uplift, foster a better tomorrow, or achieve something profoundly impactful—spurring others to evolve.” Her desire to solve pressing issues like conservation and equity makes her a natural candidate for this program.
The Executive Master in International Development program is designed for seasoned professionals who want to grow in their professions and enhance their opportunities in a variety of fields and positions. Students in the program learn how to use creative thinking to solve problems related to sustainable development. The hands-on approach means students can use the knowledge they've gained right away, especially as many students pursue this blended program while continuing to work.
“What enriches the program is that our values are so strongly connected, so we are on a continuous learning path together towards the same purpose.”
For Nuria, a key advantage of the Executive Master in International Development is the program’s close partnership with the United Nations System Staff College (UNSSC). She says the collaboration “provides first-hand insights about global objectives and about the difficulties of multilateral collaborations.” The real-world expertise gained helps students apply what they learn to current issues in society.
Although around half of Nuria’s cohort work in UN institutions, she’s struck by the fact that they all have such different backgrounds. This diversity, she feels, is the best thing about the program. Her colleagues are of various nationalities and located in ten different time zones, but she says their values are “so strongly connected that they share a continuous learning path towards the same purpose.”
While Nuria admits the program is challenging, she feels it is definitely worth it. “There’s no elevator to success—you need to take the stairs!” she enthuses. What makes the program so powerful, in her opinion, is the fact that the strategic global perspective it provides can be applied to all sectors. She is looking forward to the chance to apply what she has learned to her own industry.
Nuria is now at the point where she’s deciding on the subject of her thesis. Her intention is for this to have real application to her industry. “A new era of aviation is just ahead of us, marrying sustainability and innovation,” she states. “I see myself as an ambassador of this new era, supporting new learners, understanding lessons from the past and sharing a common vision.” She will soon be poised for maximum impact in her chosen path, thanks to the skills she is gaining in the Executive Master in International Development.
