The Harvard University trademark must be priceless. In addition to the fact that it is always among the top five in the world in the main rankings, the name is recognized outside the academic sphere and is even part of the popular vocabulary. In our cities, it is not unusual to find pre-university academies that without any modesty use the name: “Harvard Pre-University Academy” or in other businesses such as “Harvard Radiological Clinic”. Adding names to ads should allow them to be associated with a quality brand.

The same applies to universities that want to establish programs that allow them to collaborate with Harvard. Efforts are not always successful, as standards are high and misuse of the name is monitored by the Trademark Office, which oversees the university’s brand worldwide. However, they cannot always be everywhere and at all times.

In the recent election campaign, several candidates introduced the name Harvard as a sign of their good academic education. Of all of them, according to university records, only three have official degrees: Daniel Noboa (2020), Otto Sonnenholzner (2023) and Érika Paredes (2023). All three recently earned a Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree from the state school.

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The MPA is a program that lasts one or two years and is intended for professionals with experience in the public sector who aspire, in the case of foreign students, to occupy leading positions in the governments of their countries. The flexibility of the program lies in the fact that students can attend courses in many disciplines in accordance with their professional horizons, with a minimum of courses in applied economics and political science. The opportunities to build professional relationships around the world are enormous.

María Cristina Bayas, president of the Harvard Club of Ecuador, which brings together seventy alumni with ties to Ecuador, reports that nearly half of its members have MPAs. The second largest group are those who have a Legum Magister (LL.M.), which is the equivalent of a Master of Laws. In third place are those who have a master’s degree in business administration (MBA).

Ecuadorian alumni who have earned PhDs at Harvard can be counted on the fingers of one hand. One of the most significant is Hernán Pérez Loose, who holds the title of Scientiae Juridicae Doctor (1989), which is equivalent to a doctorate in law. In November 2022, President Guillermo Lasso appointed him Ambassador of Ecuador to the United Nations, at a crucial moment in which our country is part of the Security Council. Daniel Noboa’s administration inexplicably removed him from his position in November of this year. He was replaced by José De la Gasca, 42, who holds a master’s degree in criminology from the Espíritu Santo Specialty University in Guayaquil. According to press reports, he also speaks English. (OR)