CUNEF Universidad hosts an activity with State Economists to bring students closer to public institutions

On Monday, 27 October, the School of Business, Economics and Law organised the complementary degree activity “Connecting classrooms and institutions: becoming a State Economist”. The session featured the participation of Víctor Ausín, Director General of Economic Policy at the Spanish Ministry of Economy, Trade and Business, and Mercedes Abascal, Deputy Director General of Public Debt Management at the General Secretariat of the Spanish Treasury.

The speakers, who are both State Economists, described their academic background and career path to the students, highlighting the wide range of professional opportunities for economists in public service and detailing the different aspects of their job and the challenges they face in their day to day. Ausín stressed the importance of being cautious, given their high level of responsibility, and insisted on humility as the key to preventing policies that end up having a negative effect. In addition, he pointed out that languages (especially English) and soft skills like effective communication are essential to succeed both in competitive examinations and in public and private workplaces.

Abascal shared with students that her years as a student preparing for her competitive exam were all about learning and discipline, and added that rigour and curiosity are essential to success. The deputy director general advised students to also rely on them in university, setting short- and medium-term objectives to bring them closer to their long-term goals.

In economic matters, Abascal stated that Spain is currently in “quite a good” moment in terms of access to public debt purchase and financing. In this regard, Ausín said that the Spanish banking sector is “very robust” after the reforms undertaken following the 2008 economic crisis.