IE INTERNATIONAL POLICY REVIEW

We live in a world where we are expected to have a defined area of expertise by the time we graduate and to possess a set of sophisticated skills ready to deploy—skills that often require decades to fully develop. This creates the persistent feeling of falling behind, a symptom of what I like to call “rush culture.” Our generation is constantly pushed to achieve without being given the time or platform to learn. We are expected to know, to be ready, without the opportunity to gain proper preparation. We are expected to deliver results without being taught how to create value. In a society increasingly resistant to machines and automation, we are still treated as models where information can simply be “plugged in” to produce results. We are rushed toward outcomes without sufficient time to process or reflect.

When it comes to academic writing, rush culture often manifests in the form of a final thesis. Many students feel overwhelmed and lost, as if thrown into a passive exercise of meeting a word count. For others, rush culture appears on the first day of a new job, where they are expected to produce a written analysis under tight deadlines, even before they have figured out how to find the coffee machine. Still, others face it when forming opinions on issues of public interest, struggling to understand contrasting voices the day before voting. The IE International Policy Review might not solve the world’s rush culture, but it sets itself the ambitious goal of providing students with a foundation to take their first steps in developing critical thinking, writing, and research skills at their own pace, in addition to the already excellent preparation we receive at IE University. The Review aims to counteract rush culture by giving undergraduate students the opportunity to explore topics of interest, learn to conduct research, and write professionally during their university years. The goal is to better prepare them while also allowing them to enjoy the art of academic publishing instead of being overwhelmed by it when the time comes.

As the IE International Policy Review Editorial Board, we have carried this vision since the beginning of our term. We did not expect our idea to be embraced by so many students, but this positive reception reaffirms our belief that academic writing should not only be accessible to a select few—it must also be at the service of everyone brave enough to express reasoned and supported ideas. Whether someone pursues a career as an academic or not, we believe in the power of sharing thoughts and learning how to communicate them effectively. You do not have to be a policymaker to have a vision for tackling climate change, but you may need to learn how to articulate that vision for it to be heard and valued. With this issue, we aim not only to create a platform for students to grow but also to amplify their voices. Each article includes a policy proposal or critique section and is framed with an international perspective. This reflects our commitment to fostering dialogue among future policymakers, lawyers, entrepreneurs, and academics about how we can collaborate internationally to create positive change.

As Editor-in-Chief, I am proud to see the publication of the first Review under my mandate. These past months have been as rewarding as they have been intense. My hope is that, through the efforts of so many contributors, our readers will feel part of an attempt to change how academic writing is perceived.