#IdeasForTheFuture University Essay Competition Rewards Winners in Chile

The winners of CAF and the Central Bank of Chile’s #IdeasForTheFuture essay competition are Pontifical Catholic University of Chile’s Yancy Villaroel Osorio—in the Integration category—and University of Concepción’s Felipe Villa Sepúlveda, in Public Policies.

In “Challenges and Expectations for 2030: Latin America’s Regional Integration Available for All,” Villaroel highlights the importance of improving the region's infrastructure to achieve short- and long-term benefits that translate into economic growth, integration and development. Villa, on the other hand, provides a series of recommendations to promote citizen participation at the municipal level, which would ultimately lead to better quality of life, in his essay “Citizen Participation at the Local Level: Basic Components for Implementation.”

“On our 50th anniversary, CAF, in partnership with the Central Bank, seeks to promote the exchange and discussion of ideas by leveraging the great talent of young people in the region, who contribute to sustainable development and integration, helping build a better future,” said CAF Secretary General Victor Rico.

The winners—who were selected by a jury made up of CAF and Chile’s Central Bank representatives—will receive a certificate, and will move on to the regional phase, where they will compete with peers from across the 19 CAF member countries. Regional winners in each category will present their essay at the CAF Conference in Quito, Ecuador in November, 2019 and will receive a $2,000 prize each.