Description:

The Jackson School of Global Affairs will host a conversation with Andrés Valenciano, director for the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), on “Challenges and Opportunities for Latin America and the Caribbean: How to Avoid Another Lost Decade.”

In a regional context of weak growth and growing inequality, the countries of LAC must focus on structural transformation and diversification strategies to advance towards low-carbon and high-tech economies that address climate change and its historic challenges. Speakers will explore what policy recommendations can be given to advance towards a renewed model for inclusive and sustainable growth.

Valenciano was previously the minister of foreign trade for Costa Rica, responsible for Costa Rican foreign trade policies, export promotion, and attraction of foreign investment, as well as the official representation towards the WTO. In this role, he led the last stages of Costa Rica’s accession process to become the 38th member country of the OECD and he became the first official representant of the country towards the organization.

Before becoming minister, Valenciano was the executive president of the Instituto Nacional de Aprendizaje, where he oversaw technical and vocational education in the Costa Rica, serving 130,000 students per year through 55 training centers around the country. Previously, he was executive director of several local and international NGOs, working in education, public health, social housing, and economic development projects in over 12 countries in three continents, in partnership with the PAHO, IADB, UNDP, ILO, among others.

Valenciano is an industrial engineer from the University of Costa Rica, with a master’s degree in international business from The Fletcher School at Tufts University, a master’s degree in public administration from Harvard Kennedy School. He was a Lee Kuan Yew School Senior Fellow in Public Service at the National University of Singapore.

The talk, which is co-hosted by the Jackson Latin America and the Caribbean student organization, is open to the Yale campus community. Registration is required.