Cristian Iturriaga Nielsen

Cristian is a Captain in the Chilean Army. He has a Bachelor's Degree in Military Sciences from the Chilean Military Academy and one in Social Sciences from Diego Portales University.

Throughout his career, he has been involved in peace and development at different levels, working in the field leading small units in natural disasters and humanitarian aid. In 2018, he served as Team Leader of an Observation and Liaison team in a peacekeeping mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina. He has also worked in education as a faculty member and instructor at various points over the past twelve years, including at the Chilean peacekeeping training center.

His last position was Course Director for "Introduction to Warfighting" at the United States Military Academy at West Point, where he taught and led the curricular program of Military Science for first-year cadets, aiming to develop ethical leaders of character, young leaders trained to lead under tough conditions, promoting peace, and creating safe and secure environments necessary for societies to thrive.

When he completes his studies in the MIDP program, he aspires to bridge the gap between the armed forces and civilian institutions, NGOs, and partner nations to create more ethical, efficient, and purpose-driven efforts to develop peace.