Borja Santos
I am from Valladolid, a wonderful city in Spain that few people know about. I studied there, both my bachelor’s degree and my first master’s, in telecommunications engineering. However, I moved to Germany to finish my degree and thesis. After graduating, I got a job in Berlin, an exciting, historical city with a captivating personality that helped me open up as a person. It wasn’t until later that I discovered my interest in the world of international development, which I now combine with my passion for teaching as a professor at IE University. In my free time, I enjoy basketball, mountain running, yoga and playing the piano.
"A student with knowledge of international relations is very important in any organization or company."
Finding purpose in the field of international development
Borja Santos has always had a love of teaching—he first discovered it as a young man, when he helped instruct younger members of a Boy Scouts group. Educating others has played a role in many of his endeavors and now, as a professor for the Bachelor in International Relations at IE University, Borja is able to fulfill his passion for education while continuing to make an impact in the field of international development.
Borja’s professional journey started in a very different world. Having completed a master’s degree in Germany, he worked in telecommunications in Berlin for a while. But while he enjoyed his time there, he felt he was missing his true purpose. When he got the chance to work for the United Nations, he seized the opportunity and moved to Ecuador, where his new job involved reducing the digital divide between the North and the South.
Taking him all around the world, Borja’s career in international development has seen him working with such influential organizations as the World Bank, the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Harvard Center for International Development. He also continued his education in the meantime, completing two further master’s degrees at the Harvard Kennedy School.
After finishing his degrees at Harvard, Borja started teaching a class at IE University, which he loved from the first moment. He especially enjoys teaching topics related to international development, sustainability, humanitarian crises and climate issues.
Borja identifies international relations as a particularly essential area of study today, due to the rise in global economic instability and the recent increase in conflicts and struggles between states. The study of international relations can help us create better global governance, which in turn can promote greater economic stability, lessen the impacts of climate change and lead to more sustainable peace.
Students of the Bachelor in International Relations at IE University will build a complete foundation allowing them to understand the interactions among states, international organizations and private sector influences. The program analyzes issues such as global governance, conflicts, climate commitments and diplomatic affairs, through the lens of political and economic relationships.
Graduates from the program can go on to work in a wide range of sectors. In the public sector, there are possibilities in international organizations such as the UN, the EU or NATO, as well as in governments and diplomatic agencies. Within the private sector, graduates can find positions in consulting firms or international companies. Other options range from think tanks or universities to philanthropic organizations.
Borja explains, “There are numerous global issues—including climate change, migration, economic crises, inflation, wars and the governance of technology—that can only be solved through the improvement of international relations. A student with this knowledge is very important in any organization or company.”
In Borja’s opinion, these challenging obstacles facing us today, and in the future, must be overcome by working together through mutually beneficial solutions. To illustrate, he quotes the well-known African proverb, “If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together.”
With a vast array of career paths, including diplomacy, governance, conflict resolution, policy analysis, international commerce, academic research and journalism, the options for graduates are endless. International relations is a highly sought-after and relevant degree in today’s volatile political landscape, and the Bachelor in International Relations equips students to shape the changes that will determine our world tomorrow.
