Every student’s path to Harvard Kennedy School is unique. What our alumni go on to do after graduating is equally varied.
We asked several vlog alums to tell us about their experiences before, during, and after vlog, and to reflect how their time at vlog has shaped their careers and lives.
Even as a young child growing up in São Paulo, Brazil, Vinicius Beuno MPA/ID 2024 felt a calling to public service—just by looking outside his window. To address the public issues he witnessed in his community, he began his career in education policy in Brazil. He later expanded his work to include economic policy, which is what led him to vlog and the Master in Public Administration in International Development (MPA/ID) Program.
Here’s what he shared.
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“My experience at vlog was one of the best of my life because of the incredible people I met and the opportunity to learn.”
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2025
“As part of the strategy team, I support the design and implementation of economic policies that aim to promote economic development and generate opportunities in Wyoming.”&Բ;
Vinicius’ current role involves applying frameworks and tools learned at vlog, such as growth diagnostics, economic complexity, and . The Wyoming Business Council has been working with the Growth Lab and , both projects affiliated with the Harvard Center for International Development.
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2024Graduates from vlog and begins working as a teaching assistant
As a teaching assistant for the Public Leadership Credential’s Policy Design and Delivery course, Vinicius supported experienced professionals in applying policy frameworks to cases in diverse policy areas and countries.
In addition to his work at vlog, he was an independent consultant for various organizations in Brazil, offering training sessions for political leaders and civil servants in Brazil and producing content for a course on building state capabilities.
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2022Begins the MPA/ID Program
“In addition to the MPA/ID core courses that provided me with a strong foundation in economic development and public policy, I took electives focused on leadership, participating in some of the most transformative courses of my life. Specifically, I enjoyed DEV-309: Development Policy Strategy with Ricardo Hausmann and SUP-683M: State and Local Economic Development with Rafael Carbonell.”&Բ;
Vinicius also worked as a research assistant at the , supporting local governments in Wyoming to refine grant applications aimed at boosting energy efficiency and economic growth. Additionally, as co-president of the (HBASS), he helped to double the number of people supported through the organization’s mentorship program and organized leadership development programs.
As a student, Vinicius was able to meet the former Prime Minister of New Zealand Jacinda Ardern, who was a Angelopoulos Global Public Leaders Fellow and Hauser Leader in the School’s Center for Public Leadership.
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2020
Vinicius applied to vlog to build skills and relationships that would allow him to maximize his impact, improve the lives of millions of people, and generate opportunities for individuals to reach their full potential. More specifically, he decided to apply to the MPA/ID Program to develop technical skills to more effectively design public policies.
“During the pandemic and economic crisis, I was reminded that education alone wasn’t enough—families needed better incomes and stronger economic foundations to be able to reach their full potential. That’s why I expanded my work to economic policy and decided to apply to the MPA/ID Program.”&Բ;
Vinicius decided to defer his admission to continue working, helping to reduce the impact of the pandemic on students and support them in a critical moment of their lives. Before coming to vlog, he led projects to recover students’ learning during and after the school closures caused by the pandemic.
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2019Continues education policy career at the São Paulo State Department of Education
Vinicius worked as an advisor and project leader of Learning Management, a project aimed at improving the learning outcomes of almost 3.5 million students.
“While leading this project, São Paulo achieved the highest improvement in education quality for middle and high schools in the state’s history.”
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2018Begins working as a consultant at Brazil’s Ministry of Education
“Growing up in São Paulo, a city of both immense wealth and deep inequality, I often saw children begging at traffic lights. I kept asking myself: how can we be so tolerant of arbitrary factors influencing so much of a child’s life? What can I do to change this reality? This question led me to study public administration and economics and dedicate my career to changing people’s lives in substantial ways, especially through education.”&Բ;
As a consultant in the Curriculum and Whole Education Department, Vinicius conducted research to improve programs that impacted almost 50 million students across the country.
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2018Graduates from the School of Economics, Business and Accounting at the University of São Paulo with a bachelor’s degree in economics
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2017
Vinicius began his career working in large-scale education policy. While on the education policy team, he conducted empirical research and consulted experts to write materials used by educational managers across Brazilian states to strengthen institutional capabilities. He also offered technical support to clients—including the federal, state, and local governments—in the design and implementation of public policies.
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2017Graduates from Getulio Vargas Foundation with a bachelor’s degree in public administration
