A Visionary Leader for a Plural, Innovative, and Socially Responsible Future
On Monday, Ana Covarrubias Velasco assumed the role of president for El Colegio de México (Colmex) for the 2025-2030 term, succeeding Silvia Giorguli Saucedo, the first female president of this esteemed institution. This marks the end of Giorguli Saucedo’s decade-long tenure.
With 85 years of history, El Colegio de México is a pivotal institution in generating knowledge, science, and culture within Mexico and internationally. The appointment of Covarrubias Velasco aims to foster a more plural, innovative, and socially responsible future while preserving its core values such as academic excellence, high-level training in social sciences and humanities, and a deep commitment to Mexican society.
The Academy as a Catalyst for Social Change
Ana Covarrubias Velasco holds a degree in International Relations from El Colegio de México, along with a master’s and doctorate in the same field from the University of Oxford (UK). She specializes in Mexico’s foreign policy and regional multilateralism, with a particular focus on the Mexico-Cuba relationship. Covarrubias Velasco has authored 11 books and contributed 42 chapters to books and articles in specialized journals. She is a level III researcher under Mexico’s National System of Researchers (SNII).
Regarding her appointment, Covarrubias Velasco emphasized the importance of academia engaging actively in public discourse and policy, stating that researchers have a responsibility to contribute to Mexican society and the broader knowledge community, given their federal funding.
The new president stressed that El Colegio de Mexico must continue influencing public debate and policy formulation. She highlighted past collaborations with the Secretariat of Economy and the Secretariat of Foreign Affairs, where Colmex provided expertise on topics like T-MEC and diplomacy. Covarrubias Velasco believes that identifying shared interests and contributing Colmex’s research findings is essential.
She also mentioned that the new academic policy should view Mexico within a rapidly changing international system and address pressing issues. For instance, she pointed to migration’s direct impact on Mexico and its evolving relationship with the United States, as well as social and political polarization and democratic institution erosion in Latin America.
Projects and Challenges
Covarrubias Velasco has outlined an ambitious agenda for her term, including the creation of three research networks focusing on Mexico, Latin America, and the United States studies. She underscored the complexity of current challenges like climate change, migration, political polarization, and the need for in-depth academic analysis.
Another challenge is the impact of artificial intelligence on research and teaching. To tackle this, she plans to establish a prospective committee to develop guidelines for best practices and pitfalls, positioning Colmex as a reference for ethical and effective AI use.
She also highlighted Colmex’s dual role in actively engaging with society: promoting Mexican culture, history, traditions, and languages, as well as collaborating with the government to address concrete problems.
Education and Dissemination
Regarding other matters, Covarrubias Velasco acknowledged the crucial role of publications in showcasing Colmex to the general public. She announced a plan for aggressive dissemination of all Colmex publications, especially a new collection in the Publications area titled “Changing Times: Mexico and the World as Seen from El Colegio de México.” She also encouraged exploring Historias Mínimas, the digital Otros Diálogos magazine, and Colmex’s extensive open-access book catalog.
She emphasized continuous education and social dissemination through online public courses, diplomados, podcasts, and informational capsules to promote social impact and dispel the notion that El Colegio de México is an inaccessible private institution.
Ana Covarrubias Velasco, who joined El Colegio de México as a student in the 1980s, expressed her excitement and honor in assuming this position. She shared the selection process details, describing it as an “incredibly enriching” experience that allowed her to interact with the academic community and understand their concerns.
Covarrubias Velasco sees her presidency as a testament to women assuming leadership roles with dignity and preparation.
