Pablo Sampedro

Pablo Sampedro has loved science since he can remember—he knew that one day he would pursue a career in the field. Born and raised in Madrid, he studied and earned his bachelor’s in chemistry in the capital city. But during his studies he discovered he was more interested in the fundamental physics that explain the behavior of matter, which led to his specialization in Computational Physical Chemistry, as well as a move to Singapore to pursue his PhD.

Now back in Madrid, Pablo teaches science-based classes at IE University. His main courses include science, mathematics, statistics, physics and chemistry. The majority of his content focuses on the fundamental science upon which all modern technology is built, and his main objective is to allow students to obtain a deeper understanding of the tools they will use in their future careers. More than just using these tools, he strives to help them learn to improve and critique them with an expert eye. One way he does this is through lab sessions, which he thoroughly enjoys and considers to be incredibly important. In the lab, students are able to gain firsthand insights of how the theory they’ve learned can be applied to solve real problems.

Passionate about all things science, Pablo believes that the fundamental sciences are the building blocks on which the whole digital revolution has been built. The booming development in artificial intelligence has led to a multiplication of the amount of specialists working on it, and therefore caused an increased competition for the most prestigious positions in companies like Google and Amazon. To that end, he feels that a deep understanding of math and statistics is vital in order to be more competitive in this job market, as it is needed when designing new tools and technologies from scratch.

In order to help prepare his students for this competitive market, Pablo has been working on their final physics projects, which consist of building electronic devices with applications. His role is to help students combine the simple tools they’ve learned about in various courses in order to generate the complex behavior needed to control a machine. He reflects on it as a gratifying and fun experience, and he’s looking forward to repeating his role in the years to come.

Pablo is passionate about working at IE University, especially as the professors giving the classes are outstanding professionals who are enthusiastic about the topics they teach and eager to help students become the professionals of tomorrow. To him, it’s a pleasure to interact with the amazing people who work in the offices and laboratories, and hear about the exciting new fields in which they’re working. Additionally, he respects and admires the university’s dedication to build an institution that stays in the vanguard of technological advancement and that firmly believes in the power of knowledge to improve the world. Pablo notes that, because of that dedication, the faculty has a wide range of tools they can use to develop an active learning strategy with the latest technologies available. 

But more than just the tools available, Pablo would highlight the human side of IE University—noting that all of the administrative and management positions are run by incredibly nice and helpful people. He also feels tremendously privileged to have the opportunity to teach students who come from all over the world, especially as they bring their own experiences and enthusiasm to each and every class.