[{"jcr:title":"Four Insper scholarship students head to Switzerland for an international program on technology and society","cq:tags_0":"area-de-conhecimento:tecnologia","cq:tags_1":"area-de-conhecimento:direito","cq:tags_2":"tipos-de-conteudo:acontece-no-insper/programa-de-bolsas","cq:tags_3":"tipos-de-conteudo:acontece-no-insper/internacional","cq:tags_4":"area-de-conhecimento:economia","cq:tags_5":"area-de-conhecimento:ciência-da-computação"},{"richText":"The students were selected to participate in the Digital Policy and Leadership Program (DPLP), an initiative by Insper in partnership with the University of St. Gallen aimed at developing global leaders in digital policy","authorDate":"19/02/2026 14h15","madeBy":"Por","tag":"tipos-de-conteudo:acontece-no-insper/internacional","title":"Four Insper scholarship students head to Switzerland for an international program on technology and society","variant":"image"},{"jcr:title":"laranja - turquesa - vermelho"},{"themeName":"laranja - turquesa - vermelho"},{"containerType":"containerTwo"},{"jcr:title":"Grid Container Section","layout":"responsiveGrid"},{"jcr:title":"Students from Insper and the University of St. Gallen with the guests of the event they hosted at Insper.","fileName":"Evento alunas St Gallen.jpeg","alt":"Students from Insper and the University of St. Gallen with the guests of the event they hosted at Insper."},{"text":"Four Insper students will travel to Switzerland in February, where they will spend a semester at the University of St. Gallen as part of the Digital Policy and Leadership Program (DPLP). Created through a partnership between the two institutions, the program seeks to develop international leaders in regulation, technology, and public policy. Supported by the Lemann Foundation, the initiative unfolds in two stages: in the second semester of 2025, students from St. Gallen took part in activities at Insper; now, it is the Brazilian students’ turn to experience the academic program abroad. A noteworthy fact is that all four students selected through the process — which was open to undergraduate students across the school — are scholarship recipients. Coming from different regions of Brazil, they have diverse backgrounds but share an interest in social issues and a desire to use technology to transform society. Four journeys driven by purpose Ellen Coutinho , from São Paulo and currently in her ninth semester of Computer Engineering, participated last year in an innovation event in California. “It was a week — my first time abroad,” she says. Now, she will spend around six months in Switzerland. “It will be challenging to be away from my family for that long, but it’s also an opportunity to gain more autonomy.” Ellen is interested in topics such as internet governance, public policies related to technology, and cybersecurity. “I completed a summer internship in this field at Morgan Stanley and really enjoyed it. I plan to continue exploring the intersection between society, policy, and technology.” She intends to work in this area after graduation. “In some engineering fields, the work is more technical. But in this field, there is room for critical thinking and social impact.” Beatriz Rodrigues de Freitas , also in her ninth semester of Computer Engineering, has been involved in educational initiatives since high school, including social projects aimed at public schools. During her undergraduate studies, one such project was the development of an app to help students prepare for Brazil’s national university entrance exam (Enem). This connection between technology and social impact led her to apply for the program. “Digital policy was an area I didn’t know much about, but when I started researching it, I realized how closely it connects with education, a cause that has always motivated me,” she explains. Originally from Juazeiro do Norte, in the state of Ceará, Beatriz has studied on scholarships since elementary school and believes her trajectory has strengthened her commitment to social impact projects. “I’ve always lived between very different realities. My parents prioritized education above all else, and I know not everyone has that support. I want others to have the opportunities I had,” says Beatriz, who last year participated in the Summer Research Program at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC). She sees the exchange in Switzerland as a chance to deepen the connection between research, technology, and impact. In the future, she plans to work on developing technologies focused on social causes, combining her passion for computing and education. Isabela Borges Monti , a fifth-semester Economics student from São José dos Campos (SP), sees the program as an important step toward her goal of pursuing an academic career. She has worked at Insper’s Center for Macroeconomics and Finance and at the Center for Economics and Human Development at the University of Chicago, where she attended the Summer Institute in Social Research Methods (SISRM) last year, a program in partnership with Insper. It was during that first international experience that Isabela met master’s and doctoral students and became familiar with different academic career paths in Economics. “I want to take advantage of every opportunity to explore this environment,” she says. Her interest in public policy and regulation has grown in recent semesters as she engaged with topics in development, financial markets, and now digital policy. “Each of these areas has helped me understand what I enjoy researching and how I can contribute with impact.” Maria Sthefanny Cavalcante da Penha , from Fortaleza (CE), is in her ninth semester of Law and already has clear career plans: to work in regulation, technology, and public policy. Her interest in the intersection between Law and technology began early in her undergraduate studies, when she excelled in programming courses applied to Law. She later served as a teaching assistant in those courses, pursuing a path that is still uncommon among Law students. “The intersection between Law and technology makes more and more sense to me. It’s a path I gradually built, and it brought me here,” she says. Her motivation to participate in the DPLP also stems from her admiration for Professor Mariana Valente — one of the program’s founders, who currently teaches at the University of St. Gallen and plays a key role in the academic bridge between the two institutions. “Even before the exchange existed, I used to say I wanted to go there because of Professor Mariana’s work. Now that will become a reality.” First stage at Insper In the second semester of 2025, the four Insper students, together with four students from St. Gallen, organized an event on artificial intelligence, data centers, and sustainability, featuring Gustavo Macedo (UN consultant), Tiago Simão (Solutions Architect at AWS), and Rodolfo Avelino (Professor at Insper). “It was the first time we organized an event at Insper. We had to manage external contacts, invite speakers, and handle all the logistics,” says Ellen. The experience required leadership, international coordination, and the mastery of multiple competencies, as highlighted by Professor Ivar Hartmann , the students’ mentor. “It is very rewarding to see how the students used the opportunity to exercise autonomy and leadership in research-related activities. For example, they carried out complex tasks and made difficult decisions to ensure the success of the event they organized at Insper,” says Ivar. “Their horizons have already expanded, and this personal growth is likely to deepen further during their research period at the University of St. Gallen.” Now, the expectation is to deepen their studies, take courses in digital policy, and develop an individual or group research project. “The group is very diverse: we have students from Law, Economics, and Engineering, which creates incredible possibilities for collaboration,” notes Sthefanny. “I want to experience daily student life there, talk to people from other cultures, take part in everything I can, and grow personally,” says Beatriz. All of them also plan to enjoy the cultural dimension of the exchange, traveling across Europe and interacting with students from other countries. “I want to visit other countries and learn about other cultures. If possible, I would love to do the Odyssey, which visits Greek islands inspired by Homer’s epic,” says Isabela. Beyond the academic component, the program also has a strong personal impact. “It’s challenging to think about being in another country, with another language, another healthcare system, far from family. But it’s also incredible to see how education opens doors and takes me to places that once seemed so distant,” says Sthefanny. Isabela reinforces the transformative role of Insper’s Scholarship Program: “They understand that it’s not enough to waive tuition. They support students on every front — financial, emotional, and academic. That makes all the difference.” At the end of the exchange, the students are expected to present the results of their research and share their experiences with the Insper community. For Professor Ivar, the DPLP is an opportunity to develop leaders prepared to address the dilemmas of the present and the future: “The regulatory and public policy challenges created by new technologies are common across countries and must be addressed globally. The DPLP offers talented students the opportunity to engage internationally with discussions on how societies should deal with both the positive and negative aspects of these technologies, building a set of skills and experiences that will be valuable in their careers, whether in the market or academia.”"}]