People
Gabriel Levin Konigsberg
Gabriel Levin Konigsberg
“If you have something that you want to pursue, you can always find the resources and partnerships to do it at HBS.”
Originally from Mexico City, Mexico, Gabriel Levin Konigsberg completed his undergraduate work in Economics and a master’s degree in Economic Theory at Mexico’s Technological Autonomous Institute (ITAM). He then went on to serve as a financial researcher at Banco de México, Mexico’s central bank. When he decided to apply for doctoral programs, he found that his mentors and letter-writers in Mexico didn’t have as much awareness of economics programs at US business schools. “I started out exploring traditional economics programs; I didn’t have a clear sense of how a Business Economics program was different. As I started to better understand the benefits of the HBS program, I realized that it would be a great fit for me.”
Gabriel decided to take the leap and apply to HBS, but it wasn’t until he had settled into the program that he saw the full potential of the experience. Business economics doctoral students take the same coursework as Economics PhD students during their first year. They work with both Harvard economics faculty and HBS faculty, and can take advantage of all of the outstanding resources across the University. And since there are also far fewer students in the Business Economics program, each doctoral candidate benefits from a lot of personal attention. “When you compare the business economics doctoral program to straight economics programs, you see there’s a ‘same but better’ quality to it,” he explains.
In particular, Gabriel has found that the support staff at HBS is always willing to step in and lend a hand, which is particularly helpful for international students. He also appreciates the opportunities to work very closely with professors on research projects. “The ideal doctoral student has a lot of ideas that they are excited to share, and isn’t afraid to reach out to faculty members,” Gabriel says. “If you have something that you want to pursue, you can always find the resources and partnerships to do it at HBS.”
Research
While working at the Central Bank of Mexico, Gabriel discovered a predilection for research. Inspired by his time there and the access to data that it afforded him, he’s currently working on a project related to derivatives, investigating the kinds of derivatives people are buying, and what their motives are. “People buy, trade, and sell this kind of instrument, but it’s time we had some substantive information about whether they truly work,” he explains.