Carolina Ferrer-Rincon
My name is Carolina Ferrer-Rincon and I’m from Jerez de la Frontera in Spain’s Cadiz province. Ever since I was a child, I’ve been interested in foreign languages and travel—especially after learning English in Northern England. While there, I met friends from across the world and was inspired to study translation first before moving on to international relations. After my studies, I worked in Brussels, New York and Washington D.C., where I collaborated with various international organizations. I remember always looking forward to packing my suitcase to move to a new place, excited for new experiences, adventures and people!
“Showing perseverance, willingness to learn and passion for what they do will always help students.”
Gender equality is sustainable development
Carolina describes herself as a gender equality and social inclusion expert—and she has the credentials to prove it. As an adjunct professor at the IE School of Global & Public Affairs, she instructs both undergraduate and graduate students in a variety of programs. Backed by years of relevant work experience, she provides her students with master-level guidance in course topics such as sustainable development, foreign aid, social entrepreneurship, project management, impact assessment and more.
For the first time, she witnessed blatant gender inequalities involving time management, workload distribution, decision-making and childcare, among other areas. This transformative experience in El Salvador motivated Carolina’s decision to focus on bridging the gender divide in developing countries. Soon enough, she began her professional career in 2012 as a gender specialist for the World Bank.
Focusing on analytical and operational work, her consultancy role has entailed providing technical support to gender equality projects in Latin America and the Caribbean. Primarily, Carolina has specialized in the energy sector, which is “still a male-dominated industry” that requires numerous global interventions to become more gender-balanced.
In addition to teaching and her work with the World Bank, this ambitious scholar also serves as the Change Management Coach at Tetra Tech. This private firm runs under the USAID Engendering Industries program and assists developing countries striving for gender equity in the energy sector. Other relevant experiences on Carolina’s impressive résumé include UN Women and the Inter-American Development Bank.
“After beginning my position at IE University, I immediately realized that I was going to love working in such an international, multicultural, dynamic and high-quality institution; every day I learn something new from my students.”
In Carolina’s opinion, advocating for gender equality is exciting but challenging work. Despite progress, she affirms that there’s still bias and skepticism among professionals—especially in the energy sector. Many are still unwilling to invest the necessary time or effort into this area. Based on her experiences, Carolina attributes this apathy to a lack of education and awareness about gender equality.
What many people don’t realize, according to Carolina, is that gender equality provides both societal and economic benefits. For example, if women earned as much as men in the labor market, they could contribute between $12 trillion and $28 trillion of additional revenue to the global GDP. Furthermore, gender equality is a prerequisite for future generations trying to achieve sustainable development.
Keeping this in mind, the professor always tries to connect theory and practice to effectively prepare students for their professional careers. Carolina achieves this by creating case studies based on her prior professional projects, using real-world examples to highlight the successes and challenges of each initiative.
Even better, she also shares tips with students to improve their soft skills such as teamwork and communication. Occasionally she even invites experts to present to the class and participate in a Q+A.
The holistic support that Carolina provides is also evident in her academic advisor role at IE University. Inside or outside the classroom, she enjoys helping and guiding students through the job search. For those feeling discouraged by rejection during the job search, Carolina says “don’t worry”. She believes that there’s always an alternative way to gain relevant experience elsewhere to eventually qualify for your dream position.
Carolina spends her free time on an impressive collection of hobbies. On one hand, she adores traveling and reading books on gender equality and early child development; an interest she’s had ever since becoming a mother. When wanderlust kicks in, she enjoys a fun escape from the city and going on hikes with her family. And, as a former amateur actress, Carolina also tries to go to the theater as much as possible.
“Showing perseverance, willingness to learn and passion for what they do will always help students.”
