Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México

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Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México
Image:logo ITAM.gif
Motto: Excelencia Académica
(Spanish for: Academic Excelence)
Established: 1946
Type: Private
President: Arturo Fernández Pérez
Faculty: 239
Location: Mexico City, D.F., Flag of Mexico Mexico
Campus: Urban
Website: itam.mx

The Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México (in English: Mexico Autonomous Institute of Technology), commonly known as ITAM, is a private research university located in Mexico City, Mexico. It is one of the nation's preeminent institutions of higher learning, the best business and economics school in Mexico [1] according to Reforma and the best in Latin America according to America Economia.[2] Also, it is considered one of Mexico's think tanks.

Contents

[edit] History

ITAM was founded as the Instituto Tecnológico de México (ITM), on March 29, 1946 under the aegis of the Mexican Association of Culture (Asociación Mexicana de Cultura). A group of wealthy individuals with interests in banking, industry and commerce, lead by Don Raúl Baillères, created the institution with the goal of using higher education as a promoter of economic and industrial change in Mexico.

It was originally an Economics School and one year later it opened its undergraduate Business School. Due to the opening of the Accounting School, the institute grew from 52 students in 1947 to 500 in 1951. In 1963, by government decree, the ITAM was recognized as a “Free University School” and became autonomous (hence its name). However the inclusion of the word autonomous in its name was not recognized by the government until 1985.

During the 1970’s new programs were added including Applied Mathematics (1974), Social Science (1975) and a Master of Business Administration (1974); in the 80’s and 90’s the additions were: Law (1980), Actuarial Science(1982), Computer Science (1983), Political Science (1991, instead of Social Science), International Relations (1992), Telematics (1993), Industrial Engineering (1997) and Business Engineering (2004).

[edit] Campus

During its first four years the ITAM was originally located in a house in Mexico City's centro in 518 La Palma street. In 1950 the institute moved to 65 Serapio Rendón street in the Colonia San Rafael. During the late 50’s it moved once more to a new building built specially for the institute at the corner of Marina Nacional street and Lago Zirahuen street in the Colonia Anáhuac. Finally, in 1978, ITAM moved to its current campus in 1 Río Hondo, in San Ángel. In 1991 the smaller graduate school campus, in 939 Camino Santa Teresa, was opened.

[edit] University presidents

During its 60 years ITAM has had 8 presidents (rectores in Spanish):

  • Arturo Fernández Pérez, (1992 to date).
  • Javier Beristain Iturbide, (1972-1991).
  • Antonio Carrillo Flores, (1971-1972).
  • Joaquín Gómez Morfín, (1968-1971).
  • Enrique Moreno de Tagle, (1967-1968).
  • Gustavo Petricioli Iturbide, (1967).
  • Agustín de la Llera, (1952-1967).
  • Eduardo García Máynez, (1946-1951).

[edit] Departments

Today the institute has 38 academic programs dependent on 14 academic departments and 5 academic divisions (equivalent to Schools). The academic programs include Licenciaturas and Ingenierias (equivalent to BA, BSc and LLB), as well as Masters (MA, MBA and MSc) and a PhD program.

[edit] Academic Division of Economics, Law and Social Sciences (School of Economics, Law and Social Sciences)

This division is in charge of:

  • BA/BSc in Economics.
  • BA in Political Science.
  • BA in Laws (LLB).
  • MA in Economics (Applied Economics).
  • MA in Administrative Law.
  • MA in Public Policies.
  • MSc in Economic Theory.
  • Ph.D. in Economics.

[edit] Department of Economics

The ITAM, through this department, offers an education in modern economics, with a considerable emphasis on analytic techniques and economic models, in line with the subjects being taught in economics department around the world. The Department of Economics has been especially influential. It is a major feeder for Latin American candidates into top international graduate programs, and has played an important role in the economic liberalization process that the Mexican Government started in the mid 80's; in the last 20 years most of Mexico's Ministers and Deputy Ministers of Finance have been either ITAM professors or alumni. The department is ranked either as the best or second best economics school in Mexico, depending on the survey, and one of the Top 50 economics departments globally.

[edit] Department of Political Science

Because of the economics leading career, the Department of Political Science was invited to be the leading faculty in the field since the middle eighties. With the formal change of the career in 1991, the program was adapted to the modern American political science and incorpored important tools like mathematics, economics and statistics. The program has a tremendous success, being the principal school in the subject, because of the number of students and the leading faculty. Many of his undergraduate students are recruited in the best universities in the United States and Europe and others are employed in the federal and local governments and political parties.

[edit] Academic Division of Management and Accountancy (Business School)

The division is in charge of:

  • BA in Business Administration.
  • BA in Public Accountancy and Financial Strategy.
  • Master of Business Administration (MBA).
  • MA in International Management.
  • MA in Finances.
  • MA in Accountancy.

[edit] Academic Division of Actuarial Science, Mathematics and Statistics (School of Actuarial Science, Mathematics and Statistics Sciences)

The division is in charge of:

  • BSc in Applied Mathematics.
  • BSs in Actuarial Science.
  • MSc in Risk Management.

[edit] Department of Mathematics

The Department of Mathematics at ITAM consists of full time researchers with graduate degrees who follow active research lines and publish in internationally renowned journals. The department has also participated in the global mathematics community by hosting several international applied mathematics conferences over the years. Its main strengths lie in numerical analysis, financial mathematics, stochastic processes, real analysis and dynamic systems applied to the social sciences. Both BSc programs it maintains have been hugely successful in providing high level technical skills to its students, which often obtain graduate degrees abroad in Math, Finance, Economics, Statistics and Operations Research.

[edit] Academic Division of General and International Studies (School of General and International Studies)

This division is in charge of:

  • BA in International Relations.

[edit] Department of International Studies

The Department of International Studies is one of the main research centers of diplomatic studies in Mexico and Latin America. It also coordinates the Institute of European Integration Studies (IEIE) and the Inter-American Studies Center (CEPI). Also, ITAM publishes the Latin American edition of Foreign Affairs, the American journal of international relations.

[edit] Department of General Studies

Despite being known for as a technocratic education center, ITAM has maintained a large group of faculty devoted to the study of Philosophy, History, Religion and Society in its Department of General Studies. This department provides the bulk of the teaching for the core courses at ITAM: History, Philosophy and Problems of the Current Society. This department edits a journal by the name of Estudios which contains mostly essays by Mexican philosophers and historians.

[edit] Academic Division of Engineering (School of Engineering)

This division is in charge of:

  • BSc in Industrial Engineering.
  • BSc in Computer Science.
  • BSc in Telematics.
  • BSc in Business Engineering (jointly with the Business School).
  • MSc in Information Technologies and Management.

[edit] Research Centers

As a research university, ITAM has several centers dedicated to economics, law, political science, foreign affairs and business. Some include:

  • Centro de Análisis e Investigación Económica (CAIE) - Research on Mexican economy
  • Centro de Economía Aplicada y de Políticas Públicas (CEAPP) - Public policy research
  • Centro de Estadística Aplicada - Applied Statistics
  • Centro de Estudios de Competitividad (CEC) - Competition research
  • Centro de Estudios de Derecho Privado - Private law
  • Centro de Estudios de Derecho Público - Public law
  • Centro de Estudios y Programas Interamericanos (CEPI) - Inter-American studies
  • Centro de Evaluación Socioeconómica de Proyectos (CESP) - Socioeconomic project analysis
  • Centro Internacional para la Investigación en Pensiones - Pension research
  • Centro de Investigación Económica (CIE) - Basic economic research

[edit] International Programs

ITAM is currently collaborating with the Arizona State University in the ITAM/W.P. Carey School of Business Executive MBA Program, with the Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona in the ITAM/UAB Master in European Integration and with the Florida International University in the ITAM/FIU Master in Accountancy.

[edit] Faculty

See Category:ITAM faculty

According to its website [1] ITAM has 239 professors and researchers, 85 percent of which are full time professors. 90 percent of the faculty has a graduate degree and 68 percent has a PhD, furthermore 20 percent of the professors are part of Mexico's National Research System (Sistema Nacional de Investigadores). Some famous faculty members include:

[edit] Notable alumni

See Category:Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México alumni

Mexican Presidents

Mexican Ministers of Finance

Other Ministers in the Mexican Government

Politicians

Business persons

Others

[edit] Honoris Causa degrees

Some of the Honoris Causa degrees awarded by the ITAM include:

  • David Rockefeller, prominent American banker, philanthropist, and world statesman.
  • Arnold Harberger, American economist.
  • Miguel Mancera, Mexican economist.
  • Plácido Arango, Mexican businessman.
  • Isabel Pricila Vera Hernandez, Mexican politician.

[edit] Today

The Institute is proud of teaching humanities and philosophical courses inside every major, this with the objective of developing a higher sense of ethics even with majors like economics and business management. The school offers an extensive option of scholarship and student loans sponsored by private organizations and non profit associations.

[edit] References

  1. ^ "Las Mejores Universidades 2007-2008" (2007). Reforma.  (Full web access requires payment).
  2. ^ "Ranking Escuelas de Negocios en América Latina" (2007). AméricaEconomía. 

[edit] External links