Mario Ojeda Gómez (10 August 1927 – 1 November 2013) was a Mexican
scholar and
internationalist. He served as president and later
Professor Emeritus at
El Colegio de México (1997). He was Mexico's
Ambassador to
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...
from 1995 to 1998.
Ojeda Gómez was also ''Investigador Nacional Emérito'' (
Emeritus Fellow) of the
Sistema Nacional de Investigadores (SNI), the México's National System of Researchers (2005).
Ojeda Gómez obtained his
bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree (from Medieval Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six years ...
in
international relations from the School of Political and Social Sciences (
Facultad de Ciencias Políticas y Sociales) of the
Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, of which he was part of its founding generation; he also undertook his graduate studies at
Harvard University
Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...
, where he studied under
John Kenneth Galbraith,
Henry Kissinger
Henry Alfred Kissinger (May 27, 1923 – November 29, 2023) was an American diplomat and political scientist who served as the 56th United States secretary of state from 1973 to 1977 and the 7th National Security Advisor (United States), natio ...
and
Hans Morgenthau, among others. Ojeda Gómez crucially adapted
Realism in
International Relations 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 university, private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Established in 1861, MIT has played a significant role in the development of many areas of moder ...
(1978) and at the
Fundación Ortega y Gasset, Madrid, Spain, (1984–1985). Visiting Scholar at the
Brookings Institution, Washington, D.C. (1968–1969) and at the
Royal Institute of International Affairs (
Chatham House), London, England (1977). Ojeda Gómez was the president of
El Colegio de México from 1985 to 1995 and was Mexico's
Ambassador to
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...
from 1995 to 1998.
Publications
Ojeda Gómez is the
author
In legal discourse, an author is the creator of an original work that has been published, whether that work exists in written, graphic, visual, or recorded form. The act of creating such a work is referred to as authorship. Therefore, a sculpt ...
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
El Colegio de México 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 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
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