Working in a research center led by James Heckman, economist, researcher, and Nobel Prize winner in Economic Sciences in 2000, is among the great achievements in the journey of Sofia Lucena Cavalcanti, 23 years old, student of Economics at Insper. The experience, which lasted for two months, took place during the Summer Institute in Social Research Methods (SISRM), a summer program developed by the University of Chicago.

 

Between June and August 2024, Sofia and four other students from Insper immersed themselves in Chicago and were able to work on academic research. She and another colleague were assigned to the Center for The Economics of Human Development. Her professor was researcher Sadegh Eshaghnia, but she also had the chance to work side by side with great names in the global market, such as Heckman, who won the Nobel Prize for his work in microeconomics. “I had the opportunity to speak directly with him and discuss research topics. It was a unique experience,” said the student.

 

To participate in this year’s edition of the SISRM, Sofia had to go through a selection process at Insper, prove proficiency in English, fulfill visa procedures, and have some interviews directly with the University of Chicago, which has 130 years of history, serves more than 18,000 undergraduate students, and has had 97 Nobel Prize laureates among professors and students.

 

“Since I joined Insper, my goal has been to take advantage of all the opportunities the institution offers. I started with a scientific initiation at the beginning of college and really enjoyed the research area, so the chance to go to Chicago and experience it in practice was special,” she said.

 

Born in Recife (PE), the student of Economics was already used to being away from home, and the stay in the United States was not her first experience. “I lived for a year in Orlando, Florida, but this experience in Chicago was completely different. Besides the academic part, it was an opportunity to know and be immersed in a new culture,” she said.

 

The learnings during the two months at the partner university of Insper contributed to the advancement of Sofia’s career, who recently began working as a Macro Research Intern at Necton Investimentos, part of BTG Pactual. “It was two months of intense dedication to research activity and listening to great names talk about their findings. These were enriching exchanges, and I think it’s very difficult to have an experience like that. It certainly contributed to my development.”

 

Another area that was boosted by the experience at the University of Chicago was the development of her Final Project, with expected graduation in the first semester of 2025. The topic chosen was “Public debt and its consequences: economic growth and income distribution inequality in Brazil.” “During my period in Chicago, I could develop my Final Project with research methodology tips from Professor Andrew Proctor, a specialist in survey research and quantitative methods,” she explained.

 

For Sofia, the main challenge of the experience in Chicago was time management. “It was difficult to balance the high volume of activities, but the topics were very interesting, and the challenge motivated me,” she said. In addition to theoretical learning, she says that the relationships built during the period will be important for the rest of her life. “I had contact with people from various parts of the world and other universities. Each experience helped me, and I returned home with great friends, including at Insper, and a network,” she said.