Carlos Gonzalez Perez (2021, MPhil + DPhil in Economics), International Students Officer

Carlos is a first-year MPhil + DPhil in Economics student, so yes, he will be around for a long time at Univ. Born and raised in Valladolid, Spain, Carlos holds a double major in Economics and International Studies from UC3M (in Madrid). During his undergrad, he spent some time abroad in the United States, China, and Italy. As an experienced international student, Carlos is looking forward to empowering the International Community here at Univ. Whenever he is not talking about Economics or Statistics, he likes talking about hiking, rugby, chess, or Atletico de Madrid. His inbox is open to anybody who has any concerns regarding international matters, but in particular, if you are an international student, he is really looking forward to hearing from you!

Why did you decide to do an MPhil/DPhil? What is the current state/direction of your research?
My dream is to bring the largest possible impact on society. As a low-income student, I have always felt very attached to my community, and I have always wanted to give back to them all the effort they invested in me when I was a kid. In that sense, getting postgraduate training in Economics (MPhil + DPhil) will provide me with all the tools to effectively develop policies which raise the welfare of my communities and beyond.

I currently study Applied Econometrics, which means that I use theoretical statistics and Machine Learning based methods to identify the effect of public policies on the health, education and economic welfare of families.

How do you think you have changed since walking through Univ’s doors for the first time?
My time here so far has been really intense. However, I am happy to say that Univ (as well as my colleagues and professors) has been extremely supportive in this process. As a result, I would say that Univ made me more aware of the importance of building a strong and diverse community around my academic life. Also, Univ has shown me the huge potential of the student body when we all come together.

What do you hope to achieve as International Students Officer?
My main goal as an International Student Officer is not that of creating an International Community here at Univ, but to make sure that the International Community feels represented and embodied in the broad student community at Univ. I know that many fellow international colleagues usually feel overwhelmed by the idiosyncrasy of this University, hence my mission here is to make sure that they feel like main characters in this College, which is also of theirs!

Do you have any advice for people on settling into Oxford/Univ life?
My main advice is to build a strong community within college. I know this might feel challenging for many people, and that is why I would like to encourage them to participate in as many “programmed activities” as possible. Usually, when given a structured framework to socialize, people are frequently more open and extrovert, thus, I will encourage you all to actively participate in WCR activities, as well as (college) sports clubs and societies.

Describe Univ in three words.
History, Community, Possibilities.

Published: 16 May 2022

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