Soldier and explorer

I don't consider myself a warrior; I identify more with the qualities of the explorer and the soldier. Although I come from humble origins, raised by a single mother, I made my way in the world thanks to my tenacity and ambition. I was the first Mexican to receive a doctorate from Stanford University School of Education. Although not extensive, my production has contributed to comparative and international education debates. I make my living teaching and researching the politics of education at the Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana (UAM), Xochimilco campus; I teach undergraduate, master's and doctoral subjects. I direct my students' theses and participate in committees of many others. I also partake in several institutional committees. I am a member of the National System of Researchers and several professional associations, such as the Comparative and International Education Society, the Mexican Council of Educational Research, and others, national and international. I am a founding member of the Mexican Society of Comparative Education. From these associations, I derive the networks in which I operate, have interlocutors for my work, and comment on those of my colleagues from various parts of the world. • I think I hold the explorer’s attributes and the soldier’s nature. • My ego and management style clashed with the institutional cultural persistence. • I learned at Stanford to ask myself questions, inquire, and report in writing. • An extension of my scholarly life is opinion journalism. I have a column in Excelsior.