First PNK Finalists Open Seminar at UNSAM

March 27th, 2014 · UNSAM, Buenos Aires

The first Open Seminar of the President Nestor Kirchner Fellowship was held on March 27, 2014 at the offices of Universidad Nacional de San Martin in Buenos Aires. The Open Seminar brought together Argentine Finalists in the PNK Fellowship Program and provided an opportunity for them to meet each other and to present their work in four seminar sessions. Twelve Finalists participated in this half-day event and demonstrated their excellent academic quality and commitment to public service. The event was opened by PNK Program Directors Margarita Gutman from The New School and Marcelo Bufachi from UNSAM. Closing remarks were made by Michael Cohen, Director of the Observatory on Latin America, and Carlos Ruta, Rector of UNSAM.

The seminar presentations were wide-ranging, within the following sessions:

• “Territories, regions, and environment for development with social inclusion”, chaired by 2013 PNK Fellow German Linzer, included Finalists Maria Cecilia Cabrera, Guillermo Cristofani, Nicolas Gutman, and Eugenia Migliori.

• “Public policies for development with inclusion and social justice”, chaired by Marcelo Bufachi , included Erica Carrizo, Pamela Morales, and Mariano Nascone.

• “Media and democracy for development with inclusion” (Part 1), chaired by Ana Castellani, Secretary for Institutional Relations of UNSAM, included Miranda Cassino and Ayeray Medina Bustos.

• “Media and democracy for development with inclusion” (Part 2), chaired by Margarita Gutman, included Inti Perez Aznar and Maria Celeste Perosino.

The idea for this Open Seminar came from Alberto Croce, Director of Fundacion SES, an Associated Institution with the PNK Fellowship Program and a member of the First Round Jury for the Fellowship. The seminar celebrated the excellence of the Finalists while allowing for a stimulating exchange of ideas over many subjects. The discussions demonstrated the challenges of translating academic inquiry into public policies and action in civil society, with many Finalists showing how their work had or is currently contributing to political and social debates in Argentina. The Open Seminar further highlighted the impressive leadership potential of this cohort of young professionals.

As noted by Rector Carlos Ruta, the Open Seminar also provided an opportunity to create a community of shared interests among the Finalists, together with UNSAM and The New School. The two institutions agreed that this first event will be repeated and strengthened in the coming years.

+ Download the program of the event (.pdf in Spanish)