Juan Sebastián Lemos strengthens his research skills during his stay at Harvard
In March 2025, Juan Sebastián Lemos, a student in the PEG Master’s in Economics program at the Universidad de los Andes, spent a month on an academic exchange at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. With the support of TREES, this experience contributed to his development as a researcher, broadening his academic and personal perspectives. What was this experience like for him? Below, we share his account.
Thanks to the support of TREES, I had the opportunity to do an academic stay at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, an opportunity that marked both my professional and personal growth and that leaves me with experiences and learning that otherwise I would not have been able to live.
On a personal level, this experience transformed my perspective on what is possible. Studying at Harvard had never been an even imaginable option for me, but today it has become a real dream that I strive for at work every day. Living in another country, adapting to a new culture and communicating in a different language was a major challenge, as I had not had the opportunity to do so before. However, this was also an opportunity to broaden my knowledge, question my place in the world, the opportunities and privileges I have and strengthen my autonomy.
Professionally, the visit allowed me to make faster and more substantial progress on my research project. I attended seminars and classes taught by leading professors in educational research, which enriched my ideas and opened new paths for further expanding my research agenda. I participated in discussions with doctoral students who shared their experiences with me, which allowed me to better understand how academic careers are built in international contexts. I learned new research methodologies and approaches that complement my previous training and gained confidence in my ability to contribute, based on my experience, to discussions and decisions regarding the research project I am working on.
Finally, I was also able to establish links with students and researchers from different countries who share similar interests. At the same time, being surrounded by such skilled people in such a demanding environment was a challenge, but also a motivation to reflect on the quality of my education in the eyes of a future international projection. In short, this experience gave me more than knowledge: it gave me clarity about my vocation, new tools for my academic and professional development, and the impetus to keep striving.