The Human Development Lab at Universidad de los Andes successfully hosted a new Policy Panel on August 18 as part of the series “Chile en Construcción: Debates para el Futuro.” The session, titled “Academia y políticas públicas: ¿cómo aportar e incidir desde la universidad?”, brought together Joshua Goodman, Andrea Repetto, and Gabriel Ugarte to discuss how academic research can contribute more effectively to public policy.
Moderated by Andrés Barrios, Director of the Human Development Lab, the conversation brought together perspectives from academia and government, combining international experience, research on Chilean public policy, and the practical challenges of producing and using evidence within the State.
Joshua Goodman is Professor of Education and Economics at Boston University and a specialist in the economics of education and labor economics. He holds a PhD in Economics from Columbia University and has also worked directly in government, including as a Senior Economist at the White House Council of Economic Advisers.
Drawing on his experience across academia and public policy, Goodman focused on how researchers can increase the impact of their work. He emphasized two main lessons: communicating research in simple and accessible ways, and building relationships with policymakers, advocates, and decision-makers who can turn evidence into action.
Andrea Repetto is Professor and Director of the School of Government at Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. She holds a PhD in Economics from MIT and has developed an extensive academic and public-policy career, with research focused on social policy, public economics, and behavioral economics.
Repetto brought the discussion closer to the Chilean context, highlighting the role universities can play in addressing public problems through rigorous research and sustained engagement with the policy debate. Her contribution reinforced the importance of connecting academic knowledge with the institutional and social dimensions involved in policymaking.
Gabriel Ugarte is Chile’s Undersecretary of Social Evaluation and has experience in research, government, and public-policy analysis. His work has focused on the use of evidence and administrative information to improve the design and evaluation of social policies.
Ugarte presented several tools through which the Chilean State is strengthening the use of evidence in social policy. He highlighted the Registro de Información Social (RIS) and the opportunities it creates for academic researchers to work with administrative microdata, as well as the State’s systems for monitoring and evaluating public programs. He closed with an invitation for academia to develop applied research agendas around major challenges facing Chile, including child poverty, demographic change, and economic development.
The panel offered three complementary perspectives on how research can contribute to better public policy: making academic evidence more accessible and relevant, strengthening universities’ participation in public debate, and creating institutional mechanisms through which researchers and policymakers can work together.
Through initiatives such as the Policy Panel series, the Human Development Lab seeks to strengthen this dialogue and create spaces where academic research can contribute directly to the discussion of the main challenges facing Chile.
