Five world-renowned leaders selected to lead students at FIU's Adam Smith Center

The inaugural event with the Senior Leadership Fellows will take place on February 3, 2026.

Jan. 30, 2026 at 10:23am

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This spring, FIU's Adam Smith Center for Economic Freedom will host five distinguished Senior Leadership Fellows: a former president of Bolivia, a representative of Mexico to the FIFA World Cup, the minister of economy of El Salvador, the minister of foreign affairs of Panama, and a former mayor of Miami. The Senior Leadership Fellows Program will introduce students to leaders who have governed, negotiated, and built institutions at every level of government, bringing real-world experience and a proven record of high-level decision-making.

Why it matters

The Adam Smith Center for Economic Freedom aims to provide students with direct access to global leaders, sparking meaningful, one-on-one exchanges and high-level discussions on leadership, economic development, global affairs, and the complexities of policymaking.

The details

The five Senior Leadership Fellows include Jeanine Añez, the former president of Bolivia; Gabriela Cuevas, the Representative of Mexico to the FIFA World Cup; María Luisa Hayem, the minister of economy of El Salvador; Javier Martínez-Acha, the minister of foreign affairs of Panama; and Francis X. Suarez, the former mayor of Miami. The fellows will guide conversations and share their real-world experiences with students through multi-week study group sessions.

  • The inaugural event with the Senior Leadership Fellows will take place on Tuesday, February 3, 2026, from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the MARC Pavilion at FIU's MMC Campus.

The players

Jeanine Añez

Served as president of Bolivia, becoming the second woman in the nation's history to assume the office. She entered the presidency in 2019 through constitutional succession during a period of electoral fraud and political crisis, working to stabilize the country and avert escalating unrest.

Gabriela Cuevas

A Mexican diplomat, public leader, and academic with more than two decades of experience in democratic governance and international affairs. She currently serves as the Representative of Mexico to the FIFA World Cup, leading initiatives focused on social legacy, community development, and inclusion.

María Luisa Hayem

El Salvador's minister of economy, a role she has held since 2019, where she leads national strategies to strengthen the country's business environment, attract investment, increase exports, and promote innovation to drive economic growth and job creation.

Javier Martínez-Acha

Panama's Minister of Foreign Affairs and a finance professional with 27 years of experience in investments, banking, and capital markets.

Francis X. Suarez

An attorney and former mayor of the City of Miami (2018–2025), where he led efforts to improve transportation, expand connectivity, and position Miami as a global technology and innovation hub.

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What they’re saying

“Thank you to the Adam Smith Center for Economic Freedom for the invitation. Being here is not only an opportunity to speak, but to share and reflect with students. My intention is to contribute through lived experience, in hopes of inspiring thought about leadership, democracy, responsibility, and social commitment. I deeply value these spaces for reflection and mutual learning.”

— Jeanine Añez, Former President of Bolivia (communitynewspapers.com)

“Public policy is developed at the intersection of institutional frameworks, social responsibility, and decision-making processes that produce tangible societal impact. Engagement with students from the Adam Smith Center at FIU enables substantive dialogue on the ways in which governance structures, public policy design, and international cooperation shape societal outcomes. Mentorship, in this context, extends beyond the transmission of experience to the cultivation of critical thinking, ethical leadership, and a nuanced understanding of how public decisions can be strategically designed to foster opportunity, stability, and shared value in an increasingly interconnected global environment.”

— Gabriela Cuevas, Representative of Mexico to the FIFA World Cup (communitynewspapers.com)

“I am thrilled to share with students at Florida International University insights on how innovation and a client-centered approach can drive economic growth.”

— María Luisa Hayem, Minister of Economy of El Salvador (communitynewspapers.com)

“In an interconnected hemisphere, freedom is sustained through strategic cooperation and shared responsibility. Panama understands that stability, prosperity, and democratic resilience are not secured in isolation, but through credible alliances among democracies and collective leadership in the Americas. Democratic resilience lies at the heart of this effort. It is both a collective choice of our time and a deliberate path that safeguards freedoms while embracing pluralism. Democracy draws its strength from the sum of our peoples, and only by upholding its principles can we work together to confront the social challenges that concern us so deeply.”

— Javier Martínez-Acha, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Panama (communitynewspapers.com)

“I'm honored to join FIU's Adam Smith Center as a Senior Leadership Fellow. Engaging with students on leadership, economic freedom, and real-world decision-making is essential to preparing the next generation to navigate complex global challenges.”

— Francis X. Suarez, Former Mayor of Miami (communitynewspapers.com)

What’s next

The inaugural event with the Senior Leadership Fellows will take place on Tuesday, February 3, 2026, from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the MARC Pavilion at FIU's MMC Campus (10975 SW 17th St, Miami, FL). The event will feature a conversation between Díaz-Rosillo and the fellows and is free and open to the public. To register for the event, please visit freedom.fiu.edu/events.

The takeaway

The Adam Smith Center's Senior Leadership Fellows Program provides FIU students with a unique opportunity to engage directly with global leaders who have real-world experience in governing, negotiating, and building institutions. This program aims to cultivate critical thinking, ethical leadership, and a nuanced understanding of how public policy decisions can foster opportunity, stability, and shared value in an interconnected world.