Since childhood, Lisgrey Barrera has been driven by a single, persistent question: Why? Why do people make certain decisions? Why do they choose one brand over another? Why do organizations behave the way they do? That lifelong curiosity has not only shaped her career as a marketing professor but has now positioned her at the forefront of contemporary strategic marketing research.
Currently a candidate in the PhD in Business Administration program at the University of Chile, Barrera is tackling a critical gap in academic literature: the internal construction of brand purpose. Her research explores how organizations build purpose from within and the subsequent effects on brand equity, institutional legitimacy, and consumer perception. To find these answers, she employs rigorous econometric models and structural equations, bridging the gap between advanced methodology and real-world corporate strategy.
A Global Perspective on Leadership and Innovation: The Université Côte d’Azur Fellowship
Barrera’s academic journey is about to take a significant international turn. She was recently selected as one of only five students from across the University of Chile to be awarded the prestigious Erasmus+ KA171 International Mobility scholarship. This elite cohort will head to the Université Côte d’Azur (UniCA) in Nice, France, this July to participate in the inaugural “Glocal Leadership Summer School Program.”
The program is a cornerstone of UniCA’s internationalization strategy, designed to sharpen transversal skills through intensive workshops on global awareness and leadership. For Barrera, the opportunity represents a strategic milestone for her doctoral research and professional internationalization.
Scheduled for July 2026, the Summer School offers an interdisciplinary environment where Barrera will collaborate with students and researchers from around the world. The “Glocal” focus of the program, balancing global perspectives with local implementation—perfectly mirrors her research goals of understanding how global brands can maintain authentic purpose across diverse markets.
“Beyond the personal achievement, I see this as a vital opportunity to immerse myself in different academic cultures and exchange perspectives with peers from various continents,” Barrera reflects. Her participation underscores the growing internationalization of the FEN PhD program and its commitment to fostering researchers with a global outlook.
Connecting Academic Rigor to Global Challenges
The PhD in Business Administration at the University of Chile is renowned for producing scholars who don’t just generate knowledge, but connect it to the complex, tangible challenges facing modern organizations. Lisgrey Barrera embodies this mission: an academic who began by asking simple questions and who now, supported by international mobility and elite academic training, continues to seek answers that resonate on a global scale.
To learn more about the program, click here for the full details.