Alumni Profile: Dorjee Ugyen, IPAL'22

A native Singaporean, Dorjee Ugyen said he grew up with a sense of the value of social policy practices. “Singapore has some very strong social policies to ensure that disadvantaged populations have the supports they need—and that's where social policy comes in,” he said. “It’s not just words on a page and regulations—it has an important impact on people.”

A 2022 graduate of the PKU/UChicago International Policy Action Lab, Ugyen said two experiences spurred his decision to enroll in the program. “First, during mandatory conscription, I served with the Republic of Singapore Air Force. There, I saw how policies are shaped by international diplomacy and government social policies. I also saw how certain policies might create vulnerabilities in a military setting, because those in the military are bound by many regulations.”

The other important experience came after his time in the military. “I joined Teknor Apex, a US-based plastic manufacturing firm, working on sustainability. As they work with suppliers worldwide, I saw the importance of how regulations and policies are shaped by governments and how such policies affect people in everyday life.” 

IPAL, Ugyen said, appealed to him because of how UChicago Harris presented itself. “The idea of ‘social impact, down to a science’ spoke to everything I aim to achieve in terms of understanding and exploring how public policies can be integrated into a company’s strategic and operational processes.”

Although Ugyen had an undergraduate degree in management and international business from University of London, he said he was worried about joining IPAL with a non-economic background. “However, during an information session with Shilin Liu on what to expect from the program, I became comfortable and confident that IPAL would be a good opportunity to challenge myself.”

And, Ugyen said, the program was exactly that. “I have long been intrigued by the relationship between public policy and economics, and the IPAL program has certainly allowed me an opportunity to explore that relationship more fully.” While the economics portion was outside of his comfort zone, Ugyen said undertaking it felt good. “I always felt supported and guided, which was invaluable. The teaching assistants hosted frequent tutorials and office hours, so even though IPAL was virtual, I never felt alone. It was challenging and awesome.”

Ugyen added that the data component of IPAL has also been invaluable for his current master’s coursework at Peking University. “As a candidate for the master’s in business administration and management, my coursework often involves working extensively with data. The IPAL modules provided a solid foundation, which definitely gave me a greater familiarity with the material.”

As for where Ugyen sees himself in the future, he said the ESG [Environment Social, and Governance] issues he saw at Teknor Apex have inspired him. “It is important to think about sustainability from the perspective of resource management, and that’s an area I’m definitely interested in exploring.” 

And for those considering exploring IPAL, Ugyen said, “I recommend it to anyone with an interest in policy—regardless of academic background. IPAL provides all the support you need and a very solid foundation in data analysis.”