Over a year ago, in September 2021, Dr. Sara Elvira Galbán Lozano and Dr. Ligia García Béjar, both from the Schools of Pedagogy at UP’s Mexico and Guadalajara campuses, respectively, met to do joint research.
After exchanging topics regarding their specific research areas within the field of pedagogy and communication, they concluded that they shared a common interest in the formation of researchers along their professional career path.
This interest, motivated by personal and professional questions, was well-received within the research ecosystem that Universidad Panamericana has sought to establish more intentionally since 2015.
The initial approach
To propose an initial approach to the topic, the researchers decided to focus on UP professors who are also doctoral students and to document their experiences during this formative process, as well as determine their present and future motivations.
To achieve this, they informed the Vice Rectory of Research and the campus Vice Rectory of their interest in carrying out this research, which was received with enthusiasm and all necessary support.
Once the list of professors from the three campuses who were studying for their doctorates was available, the researchers designed a questionnaire related to demographic and professional aspects. Subsequently, they decided to interview 18 of the 71 participants to obtain more information on the training process.
Intentions and career path
Based on the analysis of this information, the researchers began to prepare two research articles, the first aimed at describing the intentions, experiences, and potential regarding these professors’ decision to study for a doctorate. This article has already been published, and the full text can be found at https://doi.org/10.28945/5028
The second article, which focuses more on determining the academic trajectory of doctoral students and is still in the reviewal process, goes back to the professors’ diverse origins and the decisions that they made in the process of becoming a research professor. This work provides comprehensive accounts of the opportunities and challenges that university management faces when it comes to training employees with academic potential.
Findings and new research
Based on the research carried out for the preparation of these articles and thanks to the results obtained, Dr. Galbán and Dr. García have found a little-explored line of research, namely, the study of the academic trajectories of researchers in private Mexican universities, as practically no research exists on this subject, and the research that has been done to date is from the point of view of public institutions.
A second phase of the research is already underway, and study subjects there include researchers from the three UP campuses who are professors that have been accredited by Mexico’s National Researcher System (SNI), are categorized in the UP’s professor categorization system, and have visible scientific output.
The researchers are presently in the process of collecting demographic and professional data to later continue with an interview stage and then define their scientific output, sure of the wealth of knowledge they can produce in this specific area of research.
Dr. Galbán and Dr. García are grateful for the support received from the General Vice Rectory of Research, from both campuses, and from the doctoral students and researchers who shared information and took part in this research project, which is expected to bear much fruit in the short, medium, and long term.
About the researchers
Dr. Sara Elvira Galbán Lozano, School of Pedagogy, Mexico City campus
Dr. Ligia García Béjar, School of Pedagogy, Guadalajara campus
