What are Research Programs (RPs)?

They organize the networks of problems that the university investigates, grouping common interests of researchers.

Research Programs (RPs) are organizational structures attached to a department or center, which guide and promote research in that or several departments whose substantive task is to generate relevant knowledge, in accordance with the Mission and Fundamental Orientations (OFI) of ITESO.

Currently, ITESO has ten research projects distributed across eleven departments, encompassing 47 lines of inquiry, objects, or problems on which the university conducts research. These projects generate theoretical and practical knowledge in areas such as technological development; sociocultural production; human rights; democracy; human habitat; natural resources; the environment; psycho-socio-cultural processes; socio-educational practices; health; economics; marketing; business development; alternatives to social, environmental, economic, and political inequalities; and social practices that manifest the moral dimension of human life, among others.

Research Projects (RPs) are spaces that allow us to generate and share research across various fields of knowledge, thereby fostering interdisciplinarity and collaborative networks among researchers throughout the university. We aim to promote high-quality research that helps solve the problems we face as a society and enables networking with other universities.

Department of Economics, Administration and Marketing

Its Research Program (RP) is geared towards generating original knowledge around four key problems related to MSMEs, their management, and their socioeconomic environment: 1) business development of the MSME value chain, 2) innovation and entrepreneurship management, 3) sustainable consumption, and 4) the socioeconomic environment of MSMEs. The research problems or lines of inquiry addressed are:

1. Organizational and functional management: identifying dynamics of organizational change, the factors that favor its sustainability and the organizational culture that considers the common good and good work.
2. Innovation and entrepreneurship management: to investigate in an interdisciplinary manner the management of innovation, technological change, and the promotion of entrepreneurship from a social and technological perspective and an articulation between both.
3. Business-consumer exchange relationships: understanding the biopsychosocial components and their influence on consumer behavior for the development of technological capabilities that make it possible to design business strategies to meet social demands and maintain competitiveness in local and international markets.
4. Production structure, labor market, and education: analyze how Mexico's economic organization has transformed by company size and sector in terms of production, sales, fixed assets, job creation, and development prospects. Regarding employment, identify the main transformations by size of economic unit, as well as the specific weight that large corporations have acquired.
5. Governmental business financing: Analyze the evolution of financing mechanisms involving governments and businesses, their economic and financial situation, and the public policies that guide them.
6. Competitiveness and Development of Territories: Studying the interaction between the different agents of a territory with regard to its socio-economic development, multi-level governance, intra and inter-institutional coordination; public and private alliances, the generation of social capital and the construction of shared and participatory territorial strategies.
7. Non-market strategy of companies: To understand the mechanisms by which non-market strategies are developed and disseminated in publicly traded companies and to determine if these have an effect on their performance.

Competitiveness and Development of Territories: Studying the interaction between the different agents of a territory with regard to its socio-economic development, multi-level governance, intra and inter-institutional coordination; public and private alliances, the generation of social capital and the construction of shared and participatory territorial strategies.

Non-market strategy of companies: To understand the mechanisms by which non-market strategies are developed and disseminated in publicly traded companies and to determine if these have an effect on their performance.

Program Coordinator:
Dr. David Foust Rodríguez
foust@iteso.mx

Department of Electronics, Systems and Informatics

Its Research Program (RP) is geared towards technological development and intervention for the sustainable well-being of the region in the field of electronic design, high-performance software relevant to the regional environment in the field of electronics and information technologies. The problems or lines of research addressed are:

1. Design of Electronic Devices, Circuits and Systems: solving problems through the creation and development of electronic technology, achieving innovative contributions in the generation and application of knowledge in the following fields: a) Analog electronics, b) Digital systems, c) Radio frequency and microwave, d) Computer-aided design (CAD) methods.
2. High-Performance Software Development: Researching the continuous and efficient use of hardware resources, closer to the optimal use of the processor. Building software that delivers correct results in a computationally acceptable time.
3. Innovation and Technology Management: Investigating how to achieve order, control, and effective management of organizational business processes; ensuring the successful acquisition, implementation, and use of information technologies; analyzing organizational strategies to achieve sustainable competitiveness; and increasing, improving, and developing the skills, capabilities, and infrastructure of their personnel.

Program Coordinator:
Dr. Gabriela Calvario Sánchez
gabriela.calvario@iteso.mx

Department of Sociocultural Studies

Its Research Program (RP) is oriented towards the study of the sociocultural production of meaning, where the question of meaning production opens a network of problems relevant to interdisciplinary research from a sociocultural perspective. The objects/problems addressed are:

1. Communication, knowledge and science: generating knowledge regarding the set of structures, discourses, mediations and sociocultural practices through which the meaning surrounding knowledge as a constitutive element of culture is produced, reproduced and updated; referring both to that produced in the field of scientific disciplines and to non-legitimized knowledge.
2. The sociocultural configuration of care, gender, and emotions in contemporary societies: to approach the sociocultural significance of tensions, conflicts, and frictions surrounding care narratives and practices, in order to understand how common understandings related to caring for others, gender, and emotions are transformed and challenge the subjectivation processes of those involved in care processes and practices. To explain the reconfigurations of the meaning of care, recognizing the conflicts and disputes over a specific and legitimized social order.
3. Public and political communication: generating knowledge about the ways in which public communication is used for social organization in public and political spheres, within the framework of hybrid communication systems, crises in political systems, and instability in information production.
4. Communication, aesthetics and politics: exploring the socio-historical configurations of artistic practices in the tension between art and politics in situated contexts. To develop the communicative dimension of these practices in terms of their power in the construction of meanings traversed by conditions of production, circulation, reception and recognition, considering art – its disciplinary breaks – configured from the neoliberal regime.
5. Communication and socio-digital culture studies the institutions, platforms and practices of the industry and socio-technical systems, from the creators of small websites to the giants or monopolies of the Internet characterized by the production of information and entertainment, management and extraction of massive data that enable the accumulation of capital and new forms of exclusion, subjugation and exploitation.

Program Coordinator:
Dr. David González Hernández
davidgonzalez@iteso.mx

Department of Sociopolitical and Legal Studies

Its Research Program has the general objective of influencing the transformation of the socio-political and legal environment through the generation of unprecedented and innovative knowledge focused on the analysis of three major contemporary problems:

a) Weak, limited and unequal access to justice.

b) The configuration of violence and the violation of human rights.

c) A deficient political system and a poor quality democracy.

Their lines of research with their specific themes are as follows:

1. Justice, Law and Social Transformation:

• Values and principles of the constitutional state
• Discrimination and exclusion
• Capabilities and performance of legal institutions

2. The configuration of violence and human rights violations:

• Institutions, actors and dynamics regarding violence
• Conflict transformation
• Human rights
• Human mobility in vulnerable groups

3. Democracy, governance and public policies

• Institutions and political participation
• Design and management of public policies
• Transparency, accountability and control of corruption
• Civil society and social movements

Program Coordinator:
Dr. Ilsse Carolina Torres Ortega
torresilsse@iteso.mx

Departments of Human Formation and of Philosophy and Humanities

The objective of its Research Program (RP) is to produce and disseminate knowledge with a multidisciplinary perspective regarding some social relationships and practices that manifest the moral dimension of human life, in order to promote processes in the formation of agents who configure themselves and the world – social and natural – of which they are a part.

Research Areas

1. Social Pluralism
2. Inequality
3. Technique and technology

Program Coordinators:

• Dr. Carmen Díaz Alba
  cdiaza@iteso.mx

• Dr. Demetrio Zavala Scherer
  dezasc@iteso.mx

Interdisciplinary Center for Training and Social Engagement and Coordination of Social Impact Programs

Its Research Program (RP) is geared towards generating applicable knowledge for building alternatives to inequalities, primarily in the Central-Western region of Mexico. The objects/problems addressed from an interdisciplinary approach are:

1. Environmental inequalities: researching and influencing issues related to sustainability and technology from territorial perspectives, common goods such as water, knowledge and technology, and their impact on society.
2. Social inequalities: research to address issues of identity and inclusion, considering problems of gender, human mobility and forced displacement, ethnicity and interculturality, and generational issues.
3. Economic inequalities: researching and advocating for alternatives based on solidarity economy and decent work. Access to financing and value chains perpetuate the capitalist and developmentalist model, resulting in an unfair market and poor and difficult opportunities for advancement.
4. Political inequalities: investigating and addressing problems of justice and democracy, impunity, authoritarianism, the state as manager of de facto powers, organized crime, and fragmentation of the social fabric.

The CIFOVIS-COINCIDE Research Program operates through Articulating Nodes, a flexible organizational structure designed to link diverse university efforts and contribute collectively to both the production of relevant knowledge and the resolution of regional problems. In this way, research becomes an activity interwoven with teaching, professional application projects (PAP), undergraduate theses (TOG), community engagement, social training, science communication, and outreach. We currently have one active articulating node:

• Water for life

Program Coordinator:
Dr. Marinés De la Peña Domene
marinespd@iteso.mx

Department of Habitat and Urban Development

Its Research Program (RP) is geared towards generating new knowledge with scientific rigor in the strategic areas of sustainability, habitat production, and product design, with an emphasis on integral ecology, democratic governance, and user experience. This is achieved through interculturality and network collaboration, using interdisciplinary and interinstitutional methodologies, to strengthen transformation and impact on societies in local, national, and international contexts. The research issues addressed are:

1. Sustainable habitat production: analyzing habitat production processes and the resulting relationships between social actors, the natural physical environment, the transformed physical environment and technology from the perspective of sustainability, resilience and inclusion.
2. The development of habitat at its urban and building scales: emphasizing the protection and regeneration of the territory: efficient infrastructures and management; alternative technologies and practices; and object solutions that lead to reducing current social and environmental imbalances.
3. Territorial governance: promoting schemes for the protection and management of natural resources, new models of urban management, and updating the different regulations related to habitat conservation.
4. Built and natural heritage: analyzing and promoting the protection of natural areas and the promotion of the use of alternative materials to conserve ecosystems; prevention of risks and natural disasters, and promotion of mechanisms that provide responses to resilience, climate change and seismic protection.

Program Coordinator:
Dr. Rodrigo Flores Elizondo
rflores@iteso.mx

Department of Mathematics and Physics

Their Research Program (RP) is geared towards contributing to the development and management of emerging technologies and mathematical models that impact the improvement of the population's quality of life. The desired impact focuses on health, energy needs, and individuals' livelihoods. This approach stems from considering current living conditions, in which the increase in diseases and the lack of energy resources for vulnerable sectors are alarmingly evident. It is also recognized that current technology has reached a limit requiring innovation, which can find a solution in the areas of expertise of professors. Therefore, the identified problems to be addressed by this research program focus on the areas of energy, biomaterials, biosensors, nanoelectronics, finance, data science, and mathematics education. The research problems or lines addressed are:

1. Modeling and identification of nonlinear dynamic systems: This involves analyzing nonlinear systems by obtaining mathematical models that describe their behavior. It includes making estimates of variable behavior (predictions) analytically and using numerical simulation techniques. Data is analyzed using numerical algorithms and computational tools. Finally, automatic control algorithms are designed for manipulating the modeled systems.
2. Design and Development of Advanced (Nano-structured) Materials: This area promotes research into the synthesis of novel materials using nanotechnology and nanoscience techniques to add value to raw materials. It also fosters the use of nanofabrication techniques for manufacturing these novel materials into micro- and nano-optical, electronic, and magnetic devices, contributing to the development of the energy, healthcare, and electronics sectors.
3. Mathematical education: which addresses the problems of learning mathematics, taking advantage of the experience, knowledge of the teaching staff and the capabilities of the university to propose solutions and innovations for the teaching of mathematics.

Program Coordinator:
Dr. Edgar Briones Hernández
edgarbriones@iteso.mx

Department of Technological and Industrial Processes

Its Research Program (RP) is geared towards activities that allow for direct or indirect intervention in national problems. It boasts a multidisciplinary physical, instrumental, and intellectual infrastructure that enables comprehensive solutions in the development of research, development, and innovation (R&D&I) projects. To this end, its work is organized into seven lines of action.

Direct Lines.

Environmental Management: Improve knowledge about ecosystem services and their relationship to human health and well-being. Develop and apply methodologies to understand, quantify, and predict cumulative environmental changes caused by water, urban, and energy projects. Develop applied knowledge, technology, and management tools to prevent, mitigate, or compensate for changes in ecosystems and their impacts on vulnerable communities and future generations.

Energy transition: Develop technology for energy saving and efficient use in production processes. Develop applied knowledge and technology for harnessing renewable energy in processes that are economical and timely for addressing domestic or productive, rural or urban problems.

Food Sovereignty: Study agricultural products containing underutilized bioactive substances and explore their full potential. Design and develop functional foods that prevent acute and chronic diseases using probiotic microorganisms and nutraceuticals. Develop processes for the secondary use of food industry waste to achieve better economic returns and a reduced environmental impact. Study agricultural supply chains and propose alternatives to improve their economic performance and reduce their environmental impact.

Health: Develop prevention systems, predictive intelligence, and more accurate and intuitive devices in the areas of functional food analysis, cell therapy, and the development of biologically compatible prostheses.

Education: To promote the development of competence in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) through student participation in research, development and innovation projects.

Alternative Lines (Technological and Process Development).

Process Engineering: Research projects focused on finding efficient processes that adapt to the diverse production and distribution models of the food, energy, environmental, and medical industries are developed within the Industrial Engineering, Chemical Engineering, and postgraduate programs in Quality Engineering and Management. This is complemented by technological development through the Master's program in Product and Process Engineering.

Instrumentation: From Mechanics and Mechatronics, highly efficient tools are generated that contribute to the study of national problems through the generation of instrumentation and equipment that contribute to the growth of the community and industry.

Program Coordinator:
Dr. Carmen Patricia Guillén Flores
cguillen@iteso.mx

Department of Psychology, Education and Health

Its Research Program (RP) is geared towards generating knowledge through projects that seek to understand how the psycho-social-cultural dynamics of learning, caring, living together, and nurturing occur in individuals, communities, and institutions. It also aims to describe the processes and conditions of sociality today. To this end, it organizes its work into five lines of inquiry.

1. Learning and education : It studies the factors, conditions, resources, and processes that enable and/or limit learning in different environments and modalities. It is interested in understanding the following issues: a) inclusion and educational equity, b) comprehensive training , and c) alternative learning environments .
2. Cultural processes : This studies the psychosocial processes, their conditions, and factors related to the creation, maintenance, and transformation of individuals, groups, communities, organizations, institutions, and societies; approached from psychosocial perspectives in educational settings and communities.
3. Collective subject, reconstruction of the social fabric and agency : It studies the dehumanized social fabric and practices that hinder agency. It examines strategies of collective action, social influence and resistance from sectors of society that form nodes of inclusion, new identities and agencies that favor the reconstruction of the social fabric in response to types of violence and modes of exclusion.
4. Personal transformation for emotional well-being: This area of study examines the processes of personal transformation and the conditions that promote or hinder emotional well-being. Specific issues addressed include: psychotherapeutic change analysis using narrative and discourse analysis methodologies; domestic violence/abuse; and depression and post-traumatic stress. We also seek to understand this change from the perspectives of other disciplines such as law, communication, and group and community development.
5. Innovation for human food: It studies the well-being of people, society and the environment through the generation of innovative knowledge and practices that contribute to solving current problems in food and human nutrition.

Coordinators:
Dr. Karla Janette Nuño Anguiano
karlanuno@iteso.mx

Dr. Antonio Sánchez Antillón
antonios@iteso.mx