Dr. Javier Delgado Campos took office as director of the University Program of City Studies for the period 2017-2021, after being appointed by the Rector of UNAM, Dr. Enrique Graue Wiechers.
At the speech delivered upon assuming the position of/as director of PUEC, Javier Delgado pointed out, quoting Milton Santos, that "The city is the most fascinating cultural artefact that has ever existed," and thus, Gaesler titled one of his recent books "Triumph of the City”.
Everything important occurs, is generated, becomes necessary and takes place in The City. Javier Delgado said that most of the world's population lives in cities, crowds of migrants are moving massively to cities and the best achievements of culture, science, arts and the struggle for a better habitat, will continue to be built in and from the city.
He explained that modern society faces a deep inequality, in which we presently live, that provokes despair, frustration and anger at seeing modernity’s promises fading away. Therefore, it is now that the academic concern for the city is more relevant than ever.
He asserted that PUEC will do its bit to help shape a better city, more habitable and from a social perspective, thanks to the extraordinary legacy of Dr. Alicia Ziccardi, former director of PUEC, and her predecessors.
Moreover, he stressed his intention of working closely with the 15 entities that are part of the Program's Directing Council. He declared that he will spare no effort, together with PUEC’s work team, so that this fascinating cultural artefact is a triumph for all and mainly for those who have less.
On the other hand, Dr. Alberto Vital Díaz, Coordinator of Humanities at UNAM, stated that a new cycle begins for PUEC, an important university program with a long trajectory, that is in charge of studying different dimensions of the city and the urban aspect of the contemporary human being. He asserted that it’s new director can develop and expand the work done by previous directors of PUEC and omens that Dr. Delgado, as a connoisseur of the different dimensions of urban phenomena, will conceive new tasks as well as continue linking research with decision makers at different levels of government.
Dr. Alicia Ziccardi, former director of PUEC (2009-2017), said that the Program is a University’s space that, in addition to performing academic work, links it with decision makers and civil society. “Our job is to make substantial contributions in order to achieve a better quality of life for all in the cities." Moreover, she declared that knowing the new director’s career, she is certain that he will show with great capacity and talent as head of PUEC.
Javier Delgado holds a bachelor’s degree in Architecture (1979), a Master's degree in Research and Teaching (1990), a Master's degree in Urbanism (1982) and a Doctor's degree in Urbanism (1996) by UNAM. He is a senior researcher at the Institute of Geography and is part of SNI level III and Level C in PRIDE. His research areas focus on Multidisciplinary studies on geography, Urban–Rural Interfaces, peri-urban spaces, and regional urban theoretical models. Among his publications are “Why don’t people take the subway? Effects of transportation in Mexico City Metropolitan Area” and “Interurban mobility, land-use changes and Mexico City's urban structure”, published in co-authorship.
The event was attended by the directors of Institutes that belong to the Coordination of Humanities and the Coordination of Scientific Research, as well as faculty directors: Verónica Villarespe Reyes, Institute of Economic Research; Telma Castro Romero, Centre of Atmospheric Sciences; Mireya Imaz, University Environmental Programme; Luis Álvarez-Icaza, Institute of Engineering; Marcos Mazari Hiriart, School of Architecture; Manuel Suárez Lastra, Institute of Geography; Manuel Perló, Institute of Social Research and Rafael Antonio Pérez Taylor, Institute of Anthropological Research. Also, at the event were Mari Carmen Serra Puche, director of the University seminar on cultural heritage research; Dolores González Casanova, Coordination of Institutional Linkage; Naxhelli Ruiz Rivera, Institute of Geography; Gerrado Ruiz, Centre of Atmospheric Sciences; Luis Jaime Sobrino, College of Mexico y Hernán Salas, Institute of Anthropological Research.
