[{"jcr:title":"Insper’s PhD in Business Economics celebrates 10 years and consolidates pioneering model in Brazil","cq:tags_0":"area-de-conhecimento:economia","cq:tags_1":"programas:pós-graduação","cq:tags_2":"formato-de-programa:doutorado"},{"richText":"Date was marked by an event that brought together professors, researchers, and alumni of the program, which stands out for its integration between Economics and Business Administration and for its internationalized training","authorDate":"26/08/2025 18h10","madeBy":"Por","tag":"area-de-conhecimento:economia","title":"Insper’s PhD in Business Economics celebrates 10 years and consolidates pioneering model in Brazil","variant":"imagecolor"},{"jcr:title":"vermelho / preto / amarelo"},{"themeName":"vermelho / botao preto / tag amarelo","backgroundColor":"rgb(229,5,5)"},{"containerType":"containerTwo"},{"jcr:title":"Grid Container Section","layout":"responsiveGrid"},{"targetId":"compartilhar1","text":"Confira mais em:","tooltipText":"Link copiado com sucesso."},{"text":"On August 6, professors, students, alumni, and guests gathered at Insper to celebrate an important milestone: the 10th anniversary of the PhD in Business Economics, a program designed to integrate the fields of Economics and Business Administration in a format unprecedented in Brazil. Inspired by models already consolidated at international business schools, the program is built on three pillars: academic rigor, strategic vision, and the practical application of scientific knowledge to solving complex problems.   Professor Eduardo Faingold, Program Director, opened the event by highlighting the level of demand that marks the trajectory of those in the Doctoral Program. “The first year of the PhD is a true rite of passage, capable of challenging even the most resilient,” he said. He described the experience as a mix of long nights of intense work, high technical standards, and, in the end, the reward of seeing graduates holding prominent positions in leading academic institutions and organizations in Brazil and abroad.   Professor Sérgio Lazzarini, Vice President of Academic Affairs at Insper and one of the program's creators, revisited the process of creating the program. He recalled that, since it could not rely solely on tuition fees, the project required internal adjustments and strategies to ensure financial viability, while betting on excellence and innovation. “The PhD was designed from the start to unite Economics and Business Administration and to place our students in the international landscape," he stated. He also emphasized the professional insertion of the graduates, citing examples of alumni who are now teaching at Copenhagen Business School, HEC Paris, and PUC Chile. "These paths show that we are on the right track."   Next, Cristine Pinto, Dean of Research and Graduate Education, presented figures that reflect the program’s impact. Over the past decade, there were 139 students enrolled, 49 graduated, and 54 articles published in international journals with the contributions of doctoral students or alumni. "What makes our program excellent are the people—students, alumni, and professors—who dedicate themselves daily to producing relevant knowledge," she said.   The event was also marked by tributes to the program directors who have led the program. Marco Bonomo, responsible for the implementation; Sergio Firpo, who oversaw the first thesis defenses; and the current program director, Eduardo Faingold, were recognized for their work in consolidating the proposal and guiding its evolution. According to Cristine, the role demands handling regulatory requirements, academic management, and close monitoring of research to ensure a doctoral program of excellence.   The highlight of the celebration was the keynote lecture delivered by Gustavo Manso, professor at the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley, a global reference in finance and innovation. In his presentation, Manso discussed how compensation structures, tolerance for initial failures, and long-term contracts can stimulate creativity and experimentation. “To truly foster innovation, it’s necessary to create room for mistakes — and for learning from them,” he emphasized.   Throughout the lecture, Manso presented results from theoretical and empirical research, as well as laboratory experiments, showing that rewarding only immediate performance can drive professionals toward predictable paths, reducing the likelihood of groundbreaking discoveries. He instead advocated for dynamic incentives that reward progressive learning and do not excessively penalize early setbacks. Examples such as 3M, which allocates part of its engineers’ time to personal projects, and Amazon, which calls itself “the best place in the world to fail,” illustrated his thesis that innovation depends on environments that balance freedom with responsibility.   Training that combines academic rigor and practical application   Launched in 2015, the PhD in Business Economics remains faithful to its original mission: to train researchers capable of analyzing, using quantitative and scientific methods, the major challenges faced by organizations and governments. The course combines cutting-edge theory with practical application, seeking solutions for issues ranging from business strategies to public policy and economic regulation.   The program is structured into three specialization tracks — Strategy & Marketing, Macroeconomics & Finance, and Applied Microeconomics — and is taught entirely in English, which encourages international student participation and promotes the globalization of academic output. The curriculum spans four years, with three academic terms per year. In the first two years, students take required courses covering mathematical, statistical, econometric, and theoretical foundations, along with applied courses in their chosen track. They also participate in seminars and applied projects, where they present research ideas and receive feedback from peers and faculty.   From the third year onward, the focus shifts to producing original academic articles, often linked to research stays at international institutions through a “sandwich PhD” arrangement. This stage culminates in the defense of a thesis composed of three interconnected articles, a format that facilitates publication in high-impact journals. Throughout the program, students are encouraged to submit their work to conferences and to seek funding from agencies such as Fapesp, Capes, and CNPq.   The program also closely tracks alumni placement in academic and professional markets, celebrating achievements that range from faculty positions at prestigious universities to strategic roles in companies and multilateral organizations. This blend of academic excellence, international exposure, and practical relevance reinforces the program’s standing as a reference both nationally and internationally.   As it marks its first decade, Insper’s PhD in Business Economics celebrates strong results and renews its commitment to producing impactful knowledge. As Faingold emphasized in his closing remarks at the celebration: “It’s gratifying to see what we’ve built, but even more exciting to think about what’s still to come.”"},{"jcr:title":"Attendees of the event celebrating the 10th anniversary of the PhD in Business Economics","fileName":"10 Anos Doutorado Economia dos Negócios (54710449436_bbe7b93a8e_k.jpg).jpg","alt":"Attendees of the event celebrating the 10th anniversary of the PhD in Business Economics"}]