The Faculty of Economic Sciences at the Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos welcomed 566 new students from its three professional schools on March 19. The event, held in the Salón de Grados, included faculty authorities and student representatives who greeted the incoming class.
The welcoming ceremony is significant as it marks the beginning of these students’ academic journey in a faculty with a tradition spanning over 151 years. The dean of the Faculty of Economic Sciences, Héctor Bendezú Jiménez, addressed the new students by saying, “Today is not just any day. Today is the start of a journey that will mark your lives. Today, you formally become part of the Faculty of Economic Sciences. And with that, heirs to an intellectual, critical and transformative tradition of 151 years, where our alma mater has never closed its doors despite our country’s vicissitudes.”
Bendezú spoke about what it means to be an economist and highlighted that their role goes beyond numbers and models. “Being an economist is not only about handling numbers, graphs or models. It is essentially trying to understand society. We are social researchers. We observe how people live, how they work, consume and organize themselves. We ask why poverty, inequality and unemployment exist—and more importantly—what we can do to confront them,” he said.
He also emphasized that economists must understand history and use mathematics as tools for analysis but reminded students not to lose sight of real people behind every equation: “Mathematics allows us to order thought, model complex phenomena and evaluate policies; but never forget that mathematics are a means, not an end. Behind every equation there are real people with real lives,” Bendezú said.
Luis Del Carpio Castro, executive president of Proinversión and alumnus of the faculty, was a special guest at the event. He encouraged students to embrace technology in their studies: “Your challenge is to use technology better than others. You will study economics at a demanding time. Do not train just to understand the country; train yourselves to question it,” Del Carpio Castro said.
Other university officials present included vice deans Miguel Pisfil Capuñay (Undergraduate Academic Affairs) and Pedro Barrientos Felipa (Research and Graduate Studies), as well as directors from each school within the faculty.
After official speeches concluded, student representatives organized talks and recommendations for newcomers followed by a knowledge contest with prizes for winners. The day ended with a guided tour around University City including a visit to La Huaca.
