Universidad Andrés Bello and the Becker Friedman Institute for Economics at the University of Chicago sign important agreement to create a new research collaboration

The Universidad Andrés Bello (UNAB) and the Becker Friedman Institute for Economics (BFI) at the University of Chicago today signed an academic collaboration agreement that aims to foster the exchange, production, and dissemination of research ideas focused on the most relevant issues in economic policy for Latin America.

Through this agreement, UNAB and BFI will support cutting-edge research involving scholars from both institutions, host conferences and seminars in both the United States and Latin America, facilitate the exchange of professors and students between both institutions, and eventually launch a new data hub designed to support new research and contribute to economic policy through the dissemination of this work throughout Latin America.

This is a first-of-its-kind collaboration in Chile that supports broader economics research and outreach.

“We are very pleased to sign this agreement with the Becker Friedman Institute at the University of Chicago”, said Julio Castro, President of Universidad Andrés Bello. “Today more than ever, it is important that universities promote evidence-based research to drive public policy”. Castro added, “With this agreement we mark a milestone for our country and Latin America, extending the research and dissemination capabilities of the BFI and the Andrés Bello University throughout the region and contributing to the development and well-being of each of these countries”.

UNAB is a leading university in Chile in terms of research and scientific production, recognized by national and international rankings. This agreement adds to the more than 300 collaborations between Universidad Andrés Bello and prestigious foreign universities, consisting of the exchange or internships of students and professors and the joint generation of research and projects.

“There are tremendous opportunities for economists from UNAB and the University of Chicago to collaborate on new areas of research”, said Professor Michael Greenstone, Milton Friedman Distinguished Service Professor in Economics at UChicago and Director of the Becker Friedman Institute. “This important agreement will pave the way for this type of innovative partnership across Latin America, bringing rigorous academic analyses relevant to policymakers in the region”.

The BFI is a renowned interdisciplinary research center at the University of Chicago. The BFI brings together economists from schools and departments across campus to foster novel insights on the world’s most challenging economic problems. By leveraging robust data and cutting-edge analytical tools, BFI researchers have the potential to play a significant role in solving the most difficult challenges facing the global community.

The UNAB research collaboration with BFI will be an integral part of a broader body of work led by BFI across Latin America.