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Esade Alumni Chile and the University of Chile’s Faculty of Economics and Business Strengthen Their Alliance to Foster Knowledge Sharing and Professional Connections

The Faculty of Economics and Business has made its facilities available to the Esade Alumni Chapter in Chile, strengthening ties between the two institutions and creating new opportunities for networking and engagement.
Chile

Since this year, the Esade Alumni Chile community has gained fresh momentum to continue growing and strengthening its local presence thanks to a collaboration agreement with the Faculty of Economics and Business (FEN) of the University of Chile, the country’s leading public university and an institution closely linked to the education of many of Chile’s political, economic, and social leaders.

A Bridge Between Chile and Spain

The partnership was established with a clear purpose: to promote knowledge exchange, networking, and the professional development of the alumni community through events and activities hosted at FEN’s facilities. The agreement provides the Chile Chapter with a dedicated venue where Esade alumni can come together, foster discussion around key business challenges, and strengthen the connection between academia and the professional world.

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As Sebastián Ponce, board member of the Esade Alumni Chile Chapter, explains: “Having access to FEN’s facilities allows us to keep the Esade community in Chile active through regular activities such as roundtable discussions, conferences, and masterclasses covering a wide range of topics of interest to our members.” He also highlights that the partnership “strengthens Esade’s connection with Latin America through its alumni network and one of the most important business schools in the region.”

The collaboration also represents a significant step forward in the relationship between the University of Chile, Esade Business School, and the alumni community in the country by reinforcing academic and institutional ties. According to David López, Professor and Associate Dean of Esade’s Full-Time MBA program, the relationship between both institutions “has been built gradually on a foundation of trust, personal relationships, and a shared vision of the role internationalization should play in education.” He further emphasizes that the main value of this collaboration lies in “creating a stronger academic and professional community capable of connecting Chile and Latin America with Spain and Europe.”

Beyond the signing of the agreement, the partnership has already led to concrete initiatives. During 2026, FEN hosted two events organized by the Chile Chapter that generated significant interest within the alumni community.

The first, held in January, explored “The New Profile of the Augmented Leader in the Age of Artificial Intelligence,” an exclusive session led by David López, an expert in digital strategy, business transformation, and technological innovation. The session examined the new capabilities leaders will need to develop in an environment where artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming the way people work, learn, and make decisions.

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The success of the event led to a second session in July entitled “The Hidden Cost of Artificial Intelligence,” also delivered by David López. Participants reflected on the less visible costs associated with adopting these technologies. Discussions focused on issues such as cognitive debt among professionals, the risk of reduced learning opportunities for junior talent, the transmission of organizational culture, and opportunity costs that are often overlooked in traditional analyses.

For Sebastián Ponce, these activities perfectly illustrate the potential of the alliance, as they create “a tremendous opportunity to strengthen networking and career development through spaces for dialogue and collective reflection on topics with both local and global impact.”

Beyond Events and Networking

The partnership goes beyond organizing events and lays the groundwork for broader academic collaboration. Planned initiatives include preferential access agreements to Esade MBA and executive education programs for FEN students and alumni, as well as the launch of a joint Corporate Governance program for senior executives and leaders of Chilean public institutions. The program, which includes an intensive week at Esade Barcelona, will hold its first edition in September 2026.

Looking ahead, David López hopes the relationship will continue to evolve: “I would like the partnership to keep growing, deepen over time, and become progressively more consolidated at the institutional level.” He also points to the potential for joint research projects, international faculty exchanges, and new shared academic initiatives.

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Through this collaboration, FEN and Esade Alumni reaffirm their commitment to building open, dynamic knowledge communities that are connected to the challenges currently transforming business and society.

 

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