Sergio De Vivo

"Being a dual degree student gave me a competitive advantage, 100%. I believe that one of the most valuable experiences FIU has to offer is the dual-degree program."

How being a dual degree students from a partner school gave me a competitive advantage

Being a dual degree student gave me a competitive advantage, 100%. I believe that one of the most valuable experiences FIU has to offer is the dual-degree program. It allowed me to further expand my excellent education from my hometown school "Universidad del Norte" in Barranquilla, Colombia. Having two great institutions such as these for my learning gave me a competitive advantage, particularly outside of the classroom, when I was facing a prospective labor market that was hard-hit by a global economic downturn due to the pandemic. While graduating with two distinct master's degrees makes all the difference in the world, it was learning two different cultures and enriching my worldview that had a critical impact on my future.

My best in-class experience while in the MIB program

The classes that taught you not "what to think" but HOW to think were the ones that really pulled me away from my comfort zone and made me question many of the things we think we understand but really don't. In particular, lessons with Professor Edgardo Pappacena (Geopolitics, Global Megatrends and Political Economy) were a high-point of the program that led to many critical thinking sessions among peers, even outside of the classroom. I don't think a single student sees the world the same way after 8 weeks of that class.

3 words/short phrases to describe my time in the MIB program/at FIU

Eye-opening, importance of different Cultures, "It Depends" - (inside joke from our cohort)