In Peru, Hugo Brousset pursued his keen interest in social issues throughout his education and early career—from undergraduate studies in anthropology, to a master’s degree in public policy, to four years working with a government-connected national organization on anti-poverty and early childhood development programs. By his mid-20s, ready to take his career to the next level, he resolved to broaden his perspective and experience beyond his native country.

“I wanted to get this international exposure,” he says. “The first step, the way I saw it, was an M.P.A. that had these kinds of international conversations about the topics I was interested in.”

Brousset was drawn to the Maxwell School for its courses focused on social policy and international development as well as its top ranking, faculty scholars and strong alumni network. He completed his M.P.A. in 2013.

“Maxwell gave me an opportunity to test myself and complement my background and training,” he says. “The program is also very focused on practical tools, for statistics or different programs that can help you analyze policy, which combines as well with more theoretical debates around governance. That was definitely helpful for the type of work I ended up doing.”

That work, since 2014, has been with the World Bank. Brousset started with a World Bank consultancy based in Washington, D.C., and then returned to Peru for five years, serving as a social protection specialist for programs in Latin America and Rwanda. In 2021, he shifted to a position with the bank’s Partnership for Economic Inclusion, again focusing on social protection but with a global scope. He now supervises a portfolio of country teams, many of which are working in Africa and Asia.

Brousset’s relocation to Washington was delayed due to the pandemic—he initially worked remotely from Lima, as World Bank offices remained closed. But as of last summer, he’s been settling again into life in Washington, as well as resuming travel through his work on projects in Malawi and elsewhere.

Brousset’s return to the U.S. has allowed him to reconnect with the extensive Maxwell network in Washington. On his way to work at the World Bank recently, he happened to run into Dean David M. Van Slyke, who invited him to a reception that night at the Center for Strategic and International Studies—home of the Maxwell-in-Washington programs. A few hours later, he was happily surrounded by close to 100 fellow alumni. 

A few months later, Brousset accepted another invitation: he returned to Syracuse to support Maxwell’s annual M.P.A. colloquium for incoming students. “It was nice on the personal side, because I hadn’t been back to Syracuse in eight years, but also to have this opportunity to speak to this younger version of myself, when I was about to start the M.P.A.,” he says. “Now that I have this experience working at the bank, I could share that with students who also want to do international development work.” 

—By Jeffrey Pepper Rodgers