Guzmán Castro, who holds a bachelor’s degree in International Studies and is currently pursuing his Ph.D. at the University of Pennsylvania, spoke about his future plans and his experiences as a student and professional.
-Why did you decide to pursue a bachelor's degree in International Studies?
-That decision was made several years ago (10, to be precise). Without trying to rewrite my history too much, I’d say that the degree program was a great fit for what were, at the time, my tastes and interests. I’ve always been passionate about international history and politics—and more specifically, international politics. On the other hand, in my family there has been—for at least a generation—a tradition of working in what I would call “international bureaucracy.” I suppose that in my 17-year-old mind, the sum of these factors led to International Studies. But again, I don’t know how much of this account is factual and how much is influenced by the exercise of trying to piece together a somewhat coherent narrative.
-What were your expectations?
-Some people start a degree program knowing that in four or five years they’ll be working at a law firm, an accounting firm, and so on. I, somewhat irresponsibly, just wanted to spend my time exploring the topics that interested me, without giving much thought to the moment when I’d have to enter the “job market.” I also knew I wanted a solid, broad-based degree that would prepare me to eventually study abroad. Those were my expectations. It could have gone wrong, but luckily it went well, and the college played a big part in that outcome.
-What would you highlight about the university's Bachelor's Degree in International Studies?
-I would especially highlight the breadth of the curriculum and the commitment to preparing students to always keep one eye (or both) on what’s happening beyond the campus. However, in my case, the most important thing was having a group of professors and students in the Department of International Studies with whom I could grow intellectually both inside and outside the classroom and explore paths that eventually led me to where I am today.
-What do you remember about your years as a student?
-If you push me, the first things that come to mind are spending entire nights awake studying, 8 a.m. classes, and my extracurricular work in the Department of International Studies. If I take the time to put together a narrative that covers that period, I’d say I remember four years of learning and working on topics and subjects that I was passionate about, liked, or didn’t like at all—but which, taken as a whole, gave me a solid education that allowed me to achieve some of the goals I’ve set for myself since finishing my degree at ORT.
-What does the doctoral program you're enrolled in entail?
-I am currently in my second year of a Ph.D. program in Political Science at the University of Pennsylvania. Like most Ph.D. programs in the U.S., the program consists of two years of coursework (leading to an M.A.) and approximately three or four years dedicated to writing the dissertation. My research interests revolve around: international political theory, the processes of formation (and reproduction) of legitimacy and status relations between states, alternative ways of thinking about power in the international arena; I am also interested in bringing some social theory into international relations and various topics in the methodology and philosophy of the social sciences.
-When you started your bachelor’s degree in International Studies, did you ever imagine you’d be pursuing a Ph.D. at a world-class university?
-Actually, no. And probably because I didn't even know what a Ph.D. was... another example of what I learned while I was in the Department of International Studies at ORT.
-How did that opportunity come about?
-When I finished my undergraduate degree in Uruguay, I already knew that my future would be in academia. One option was to pursue a master’s degree in the United States and then move on to a Ph.D. Another was to pursue a master’s degree in the region and then move on to a Ph.D. I chose the latter path for various reasons (personal, financial, etc.). Once I completed my MA in International Studies at Torcuato di Tella University in Buenos Aires, spending a semester at the School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) at Johns Hopkins University in Washington, D.C., I returned to Uruguay to work on my Ph.D. applications while also teaching at ORT. That was in 2010. By mid-2011, I was already here.
-How did your bachelor's degree in International Studies influence your decision to pursue a Ph.D. now?
-It was while I was at ORT that I realized my calling was in academia, as a professor and researcher. I’m not quite sure what the connection is between my career at ORT and my Ph.D. I’ve asked myself this question many times. The best I can say is that it doesn’t seem at all far-fetched to think, counterfactually, that if I hadn’t gone to college—and, for example, hadn’t had the mentor I had—I would have ended up in a very different place.
-You studied at Torcuato De Tella University in Argentina. How much has studying in different countries enriched you?
-Let Mark Twain speak for me: “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people sorely need it for these reasons. Broad, wholesome, and charitable views of people and the world cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s life.”