Mauricio Cespedes is the Vice minister  of Science and Technology in Bolivia and a  PhD fellow at UNU-MERIT since 2016. He is an Industrial Engineer graduated from the Military School of Engineering in Bolivia, obtaining a bachelor's degree in management in 2000.

He has two Master's degrees, the first in Public Administration and Management from the University of Nancy in France and the second in Development Studies from the Catholic University of Louvain in Belgium. He completed a Specialization in Research Planning and Management from the Polytechnic University of Valencia in Spain.

He has more than 15 years of experience in various institutions, both public and private, nationally and internationally. His career includes policy formulation, program and project management, as well as inter-institutional coordination and collaboration in international cooperation projects. Since July 25, 2023, he has held the position of Vice Minister of Science and Technology of the Ministry of Development Planning of Bolivia.