In the afternoon of August 7, the Internet Steering Committee in Brazil (CGi.br) hosted a meeting in São Paulo between representatives from Insper and the University of St. Gallen, a Swiss school of Business Administration, Economics, Law, Social Sciences, International Affairs, and Computer Science.

 

The two institutions jointly maintain the Digital Policy Leadership Program (DPLP), the result of an old partnership, recently expanded, which is supported by the Lemann Foundation. The program connects Undergraduate students from both institutions with research, networking, mentorship, and exchange activities within the theme of Digital Policy, for one year, with the purpose of forming leaderships.

 

Attending the meeting were students who will be part of the program: Benjamin David Auer and Constantin Koechert, students from St. Gallen, and, from Insper, Camila Bernardi Moniz, Daniela Matos dos Santos, Ruth Gaudêncio, and Thiago Teixeira dos Santos — the first two joining the program in the second semester of 2024, while Ruth and Thiago will travel at the beginning of 2025.

 

The program started at Insper, conducted by professors Ivar Hartmann, from Insper, and Mariana Valente, from St. Gallen. Then, throughout the entire afternoon, the participants were hosted by the Information and Coordination Center of the Dot BR (NIC.br), created to implement the decisions and projects of the CGI.br. Created in 1995, nearly 30 years ago, the committee is responsible for establishing strategic guidelines related to the use and development of the internet in Brazil.

 

“CGI.br has an Internet Governance training program that is globally recognized as a reference. The partnership between Insper and the University of St. Gallen encompasses the theme of internet governance, aligning with the objectives of CGI.br,” says Rodolfo Avelino, professor at Insper and counsellor of the committee.

 

Much more than an exchange

 

The main goal of the event was to provide students with an in-depth understanding of how Brazil implements multistakeholder internet governance, explains Avelino. “The strategic areas in which the country stands out were also presented, such as research, security, and the infrastructure that supports the '.br' domain. These objectives were fully achieved, offering participants a comprehensive and practical view of Brazil's initiatives in this area.”

 

The professor considers that the partnership between Insper and the Swiss university “represents an exceptional opportunity for students from both institutions, allowing an exchange of knowledge and practices on internet governance.”

 

Mariana Valente points out that actions like this are relevant for both institutions. “These partnerships promote internationalization and an opportunity not only for participating students to have contact with other systems and knowledge but also for the university, which expands horizons with the students' knowledge and experiences. Additionally, long-term partnerships are fostered.”

 

The professor details the reasons for the adjustment in the agreement between Insper and St. Gallen: “We changed the partnership to make it thematic, around digital policies, and with a series of activities beyond just classes — research, training, visits, and opportunities to meet people and develop leadership skills.”

 

The idea, she says, is for students to come back from their experience at each of the universities with many doors and paths open to develop as great leaders in this field in their countries. “It is much more than an exchange program: it is a true initiation in this area where both the University of St. Gallen and Insper are so distinguished and strong, and a set of benefits that greatly leverage the experience abroad,” she states.

 

Solid Partnership

 

"We believe that universities are centers of excellence and fundamental spaces for the formation of our future leaders. That is why, for 20 years, we have offered scholarships at some of the best universities in the world — including in Brazil," says Nathalia Bustamante, responsible for the area of university relations at the Lemann Foundation.

 

"Insper certainly figures among these global centers of excellence, possessing credibility and quality to develop leadership, produce knowledge, and generate engagement regarding some of the most important themes for the country's development, such as public policy management, racial equity, digital policies, and innovation," she proceeds. "For the Lemann Foundation, the solid partnership we have represents our shared interest in advancing these agendas, and the support for having more future leaders representing the country's diversity being formed by the institution."

 

Bustamante evaluates that the revamping of the partnership has transformed the initiative. "What was already a valuable experience of cultural exchange and international experience for students from both institutions now becomes a robust leadership development program in the thematic area of Digital Policy," she says. "We are very excited for this first edition of the program in this format and confident that the graduates of this program will be even more prepared to contribute significantly to public interest themes in their subsequent careers."

 

Students in Expectation

 

The experience has been productive for Insper students selected to participate in the program. Camila Bernardi Moniz, from the Undergraduate in Mechatronics Engineering, and Daniela Matos dos Santos, a Law student, will travel in the second semester. Among those approved for the next semester, Ruth Gaudêncio da Silva studies Law and Thiago studies Mechatronics Engineering. Both are full scholarship students at Insper.

 

Thiago is 21 years old, lives in São Paulo, and decided to try for the spot influenced by Camila, who studies in the same class. "I was determined to dedicate myself to the Final Project of Engineering (PFE) this second semester, so I did not participate in the first selection process. When the second selection was announced, Camila encouraged me to try. And it worked out," he celebrates.

 

The student sees similarities between the two institutions. "In Switzerland, there are some of the best universities that offer specialization in robotics and engineering, and the area of Digital Policy is also advanced. The country was on my radar since I took a two-week course in Germany, in 2022, at one of the branches of the Institute of Molecular Biology of Europe. When researching about the partnership between Insper and St. Gallen, I realized that there is also a focus on learning from projects."

 

Ruth, in turn, looks for research possibilities that reconcile law, technology, and entrepreneurship since she started her undergraduate studies. In this sense, she considers that the Digital Policy Leadership Program represents another important step in this direction.

 

"I believe in the power of youth to participate in the construction of a better Brazil. I grew up in the periphery of Itapecerica da Serra (SP), without many opportunities, and for that reason, I have always sought to engage in all the ones I received. Today, you cannot dissociate technology from our society, and it is this knowledge that I want to use to change the reality of many people who did not receive the same investments and access." This will be the student's first international trip.