Developing Expertise on Sino-Latin American Relations

Guillermo Garcia Montenegro
HNC Certificate ’17/ MA ’19
Latin America Studies
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Among the many factors that led Guillermo to apply to Johns Hopkins SAIS and the HNC, was the opportunity to study the emerging Sino-Latin American relations. He was also looking to increase his knowledge on Chinese politics, economics, and overall foreign policy. Furthermore, the international economics curriculum was another important factor in his decision to attend the school, which he believes gives the school’s students a competitive edge when analyzing world issues.

While studying at the HNC, the bilingual and multicultural environment gave Guillermo a unique perspective in understanding how China sees the world and how the world sees China. Guillermo had the opportunity to engage in meaningful class discussions, listen to different perspectives from classmates and study complex problems in Mandarin with both Chinese and other international students.

During his second year of study on the Washington, DC campus, the most memorable moments for Guillermo has been seeing his professors discuss international issues in the media, right before coming to class. For him, these moments served as a reminder of the undeniable advantage students have to learn from distinguished experts in their given field.

In his last semester, Guillermo is working on an independent-research study project with one of his classmates under the supervision of the Director of LASP. The aim is to understand Sino-Latin American relations by looking at the evolution of China’s foreign direct investments in the region. Given the current rhetoric surrounding China’s involvement in the region, it is critical to examine the development of those projects. By emphasizing facts, they hope to assess the potential benefits and drawbacks of the relationship for both China and Latin America, as well as the strategic interests of each party behind this partnership.

After graduating, Guillermo would like to work in the consulting sector to promote greater economic and commercial linkages between Latin America and the world. However, part of him also wants to work in a think-tank to develop meaningful policies to promote good governance and economic development in Latin America.