Mario Ojeda Gómez (10 August 1927 – 1 November 2013) was a Mexican

scholar A scholar is a person who pursues academic and intellectual activities, particularly academics who apply their intellectualism into expertise in an area of study. A scholar can also be an academic, who works as a professor, teacher, or researche ...

and

internationalist Internationalist may refer to: * Internationalism (politics), a movement to increase cooperation across national borders * Liberal internationalism, a doctrine in international relations * Internationalist/Defencist Schism, socialists opposed to ...

. He served as President and later

Professor Emeritus ''Emeritus'' (; female: ''emerita'') is an adjective used to designate a retired chair, professor, pastor, bishop, pope, director, president, prime minister, rabbi, emperor, or other person who has been "permitted to retain as an honorary title ...

El Colegio de México El Colegio de México, A.C. (commonly known as Colmex, English: The College of Mexico) is a Mexican institute of higher education, specializing in teaching and research in social sciences and humanities. The college was founded in 1940 by the Mex ...

(1997). He was Mexico's

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UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

from 1995 to 1998. Ojeda Gómez was also ''Investigador Nacional Emérito'' (

Emeritus Fellow ''Emeritus'' (; female: ''emerita'') is an adjective used to designate a retired chair, professor, pastor, bishop, pope, director, president, prime minister, rabbi, emperor, or other person who has been "permitted to retain as an honorary title ...

) of the

Sistema Nacional de Investigadores Sistema Nacional de Investigadores (National System of Researchers) or SNI is a governmental agency established in Mexico in 1984 to promote both the quantity and quality of research in Mexico, especially in the sciences. In the 1980s, the countr ...

(SNI), the México's National System of Researchers (2005). Ojeda Gómez obtained his

bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ...

international relations International relations (IR), sometimes referred to as international studies and international affairs, is the scientific study of interactions between sovereign states. In a broader sense, it concerns all activities between states—such as ...

from the School of Political and Social Sciences ( Facultad de Ciencias Políticas y Sociales) of the

Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México The National Autonomous University of Mexico ( es, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, UNAM) is a public research university in Mexico. It is consistently ranked as one of the best universities in Latin America, where it's also the bigges ...

, of which he was part of its founding generation; he also undertook his graduate studies at

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...

, where he studied under

John Kenneth Galbraith John Kenneth Galbraith (October 15, 1908 – April 29, 2006), also known as Ken Galbraith, was a Canadian-American economist, diplomat, public official, and intellectual. His books on economic topics were bestsellers from the 1950s through t ...

Henry Kissinger Henry Alfred Kissinger (; ; born Heinz Alfred Kissinger, May 27, 1923) is a German-born American politician, diplomat, and geopolitical consultant who served as United States Secretary of State and National Security Advisor under the presid ...

and

Hans Morgenthau Hans Joachim Morgenthau (February 17, 1904 – July 19, 1980) was a German-American jurist and political scientist who was one of the major 20th-century figures in the study of international relations. Morgenthau's works belong to the tradition o ...

, among others. Ojeda Gómez crucially adapted

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International Relations International relations (IR), sometimes referred to as international studies and international affairs, is the scientific study of interactions between sovereign states. In a broader sense, it concerns all activities between states—such as ...

to the study of Mexican Foreign Policy.

Professional trajectory

Ojeda Gómez was Professor at El Colegio de Mexico for over 50 years(1962-2013). He was also Visiting Professor at the

Massachusetts Institute of Technology The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private land-grant research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 1861, MIT has played a key role in the development of modern technology and science, and is one of the ...

(1978) and at the Fundación Ortega y Gasset, Madrid, Spain, (1984–1985). Visiting Scholar at the

Brookings Institution The Brookings Institution, often stylized as simply Brookings, is an American research group founded in 1916. Located on Think Tank Row in Washington, D.C., the organization conducts research and education in the social sciences, primarily in ec ...

, Washington, D.C. (1968–1969) and at the

Royal Institute of International Affairs Royal may refer to: People * Royal (name), a list of people with either the surname or given name * A member of a royal family Places United States * Royal, Arkansas, an unincorporated community * Royal, Illinois, a village * Royal, Iowa, a cit ...

(

Chatham House Chatham House, also known as the Royal Institute of International Affairs, is an independent policy institute headquartered in London. Its stated mission is to provide commentary on world events and offer solutions to global challenges. It is ...

), London, England (1977). Ojeda Gómez was the president of

from 1985 to 1995 and was Mexico's

from 1995 to 1998.

Publications

Ojeda Gómez is the

author An author is the writer of a book, article, play, mostly written work. A broader definition of the word "author" states: "''An author is "the person who originated or gave existence to anything" and whose authorship determines responsibility f ...

of ''La protección de los trabajadores migratorios'', México, Edición del Autor, 1957. ''Alcances y Límites de la política exterior de México.'' Mexico, El Colegio de Mexico, 1976, now a classic study on Mexican Foreign Policy; ''Mexico: El surgimiento de una politica exterior activa.'' Mexico, SEP, Serie Foro 2000, 1986, and ''México antes y después de la alternancia política. Un testimonio.'' Mexico, El Colegio de Mexico, 2004, in which he analyzed political change in Mexico. In 2007 he published ''Retrospección de Contadora: Los esfuerzos de México para la paz en Centroamérica (1983–1985).''México, El Colegio de México, 2007, and received a tribute from

for his eightieth birthday and 45 years of academic service to the institution. In 2009, Ojeda Gomez published ''México y Cuba revolucionaria. Cincuenta años de relación.''México, El Colegio de México, an essay on fifty years of uninterrupted Mexican-Cuban diplomatic relations, through the ups and downs of the

Cuban Revolution The Cuban Revolution ( es, Revolución Cubana) was carried out after the 1952 Cuban coup d'état which placed Fulgencio Batista as head of state and the failed mass strike in opposition that followed. After failing to contest Batista in cou ...

and the Mexican political alternance. In April 2013, months prior to his death, Ojeda Gómez published his memoirs: ''Memorias'', México, D.F, Edición de Autor, 2013, spanning his 86 years of fruitful life, from his early childhood to his highly productive old age.

References

1927 births 2013 deaths National Autonomous University of Mexico alumni Harvard University alumni Heads of universities and colleges in Mexico People from Xalapa Permanent Delegates of Mexico to UNESCO {{UN-bio-stub