Felipe Morandé
I’m originally from Chile but have traveled to 50 different countries, whether for work or for leisure. Passionate about public policies, I earned my PhD in Economics from the University of Minnesota. Throughout my professional career, I have worked in various fields including academia, politics, central banking, diplomacy and more. My goal in these different roles has been to make a lasting contribution, no matter how big or small. In my personal life, I like to listen to classical music, eat out with my family to try new restaurants, sing karaoke and read.
“It stimulates me to see young people eager to learn to collaborate in the construction of a better world.”
Crossing borders to create a lasting impact
A man of many passions and talents, Felipe Morandé has worked in various sectors with a strong focus on the common good. His contributions have allowed institutions to better fulfill their goals, specifically in the case of Chile and the country’s advancements toward development. Through his experiences, he’s come to the realization that he’s strongly driven by finding ways to implement lasting change.
Felipe knows how to adjust to different roles and responsibilities—he served as Chile’s ambassador to the OECD in Paris from 2018 until the spring of 2022. As chair of The Budget Committee during the global pandemic, he had to learn the arduous task of negotiating with member countries via Zoom. Apart from that, Felipe has worked as the Minister of Transport and Telecommunications, as well as the Chief Economist at the Central Bank of Chile. He’s also served as a board member of several private and public companies and as a consultant in economics and finance.
Felipe is no stranger to the academic world, with a lot of experience in international universities. He spent time working as a professor at the University of Houston, Georgetown University and other universities in Chile, a researcher at Stanford, and the dean of the School of Economics and Business at the University of Chile. After leaving his role at the OECD, Felipe was thrilled to jump back into the world of academia as an adjunct professor at IE University.
As the International Economics, Trade and Finance professor for the Master in Applied Economics, Felipe is able to show students that despite the setbacks that globalization may be suffering, it’s still present in our world today. The classroom is the perfect place for Felipe, especially as he is highly motivated to help students learn about globalization from an economic perspective in order to find ways to improve it. He believes that an in-depth understanding of the global economic context is fundamental to this master’s program.
Felipe sees IE University as a natural next step in his career path. The university is rooted in business, and he has spent time researching economics in the world of work. The close links the university draws to the real world give Felipe the chance to share his previous experience, while seamlessly uniting business and economics. Additionally, he’s incredibly impressed by the other faculty members within his field, the cosmopolitan nature of the university and the state-of-the-art facilities available.
Economists play an important role in the future of public policies—specifically those that focus on the prosperity of people and the achievement of societies. To Felipe, the fact that a program like the Master in Applied Economics exists in the heart of Europe further proves that we are collectively trying to make the world a better place.
As for potential master’s students, Felipe would advise them to come prepared for a quality education in a challenging program that is in high demand. He sees no excuse to not succeed, noting that he, and the rest of the program’s professors, are ready to help students in the Master in Applied Economics fulfill their dreams.
“It stimulates me to see young people eager to learn to collaborate in the construction of a better world.”
