Sally Blount: Educating Latin America’s next generation

From where I sit as dean of Kellogg School of Management, key to this discussion is setting an agenda for how we best educate the Latin American workforce and its future leaders to face the complexities of the 21^st century. In Mexico alone, for example, half of the population is under the age of 27. Bolstering and inspiring this younger generation, while cultivating their talents, insights and capacity for wise and complex thinking, is fundamental to the future vitality of the region. And so I am looking forward to meeting the leaders of Latin American government and private enterprise to better understand how together we can promote social and economic progress and prosperity.

With this momentum as the backdrop, I was delighted to be asked to co-chair the World Economic Forum on Latin America 2012, “Regional Transformation in a New Global Context”. It’s an honour and privilege to be a part of this important meeting; to convene conversations about the global economy, Latin America’s dynamism, and mapping a bold vision for growth.

Latin America, with its population of nearly 600 million people, has emerged as one of the world’s most vibrant regions, economically, socially, politically and culturally. Here at Kellogg, we recognized its potential several years ago when we opened the doors of our Miami campus to contribute to and support the management education needs of Latin American leaders and those doing business in the region. And that’s why we’re deepening our ties even further by establishing a Kellogg office in São Paulo this year.

Author: Sally Blount was named dean of the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University in 2010, where she is also the Michael L. Nemmers Professor of Management and Organizations. She was selected as one of the co-chairs of the World Economic Forum on Latin America 2012.

Pictured: Children dressed as soldiers and nurses march during a school parade on a school holiday in Villa El Salvador in Lima July 26, 2011. REUTERS/Mariana Bazo (PERU – Tags: ANNIVERSARY POLITICS SOCIETY)