UMECIT confers an Honorary Doctorate on Dr. Roberto Hernández Sampieri during the 2nd International Congress of Research Seedbeds
The University's highest academic distinction was awarded to the renowned Mexican researcher in recognition of his career and his contributions to teaching, research and the training of researchers in Ibero-America.
Within the framework of the 2nd International Congress of Research Seedbeds “Science that inspires, knowledge that transforms”, the Metropolitan University of Education, Science and Technology —UMECIT— awarded the Honorary Doctorate to Dr. Roberto Hernández Sampieri, a renowned researcher, academic and international reference in research methodology.
The solemn investiture ceremony represented a historic moment for UMECIT: for the first time, after 22 years of institutional history, the University conferred its highest academic distinction on a personality whose life and work have been closely linked to teaching, research and the training of new generations of researchers.
The decision, explained the rector of UMECIT, Dr. José Alberto Nieto Rojas, was made with special responsibility and care. The University has a rigorous system for evaluating and awarding the Honorary Doctorate, precisely because it is a distinction intended to recognize careers that transcend individual merit and leave a significant mark on the academic and social spheres.
“After 22 years of history, this is the first Honorary Doctorate awarded by UMECIT. It has been a matter we have approached with great care and respect, because we wanted to grant it to a person who had dedicated their life to research and the production of knowledge,” the rector emphasized during the ceremony.
The selection of Dr. Hernández Sampieri reflects precisely this vision. His academic career, his numerous publications, his more than 100 scientific articles, and especially his ongoing connection with UMECIT were fundamental elements in the institutional decision.
The Mexican researcher has been with the University since 2018, participating in various academic activities and research conferences, contributing steadily to strengthening the institution's research culture.
“Doctor, you have left your mark on this University. You have had a great impact and have combined both qualitative and quantitative methods to help us solve complex problems. In the case of UMECIT, you have left your mark and had that great impact. We are deeply honored that this first Doctorate is awarded to someone who has dedicated so much to research,” the rector expressed.
A trajectory that has transformed the way research is taught
Dr. Hernández Sampieri holds a Bachelor's degree in Communication Sciences, a Master's degree in Administration, a Diploma in Consulting, and a Doctorate in Administration, in addition to specialized training in research methodology. Throughout his distinguished career, he has received two Honorary Master's degrees and twelve Honorary Doctorates from prestigious institutions in Mexico, Chile, Puerto Rico, the United States, Venezuela, and Peru.
His name is closely linked to scientific training in Latin America. He is the author and co-author of numerous internationally disseminated academic works, including Research methodology: The quantitative, qualitative, and mixed approaches, Research fundamentals and Research methodology, some of them with multiple editions and widely used in higher education institutions.
The scope of his work can also be measured through its figures. Research Methodology, whose first edition was published in 1991, has surpassed one million copies sold. Research fundamentals, Over more than two decades, it has exceeded 250,000 copies, while Research methodology: The quantitative, qualitative, and mixed approaches It has accumulated more than 170,000 units in its first two editions and continues to position itself among the most consulted university publications.
More than just editorial indicators, these figures reflect the scope of a work that has accompanied several generations of students, teachers and researchers and that has contributed to bringing scientific methodology closer to thousands of people in Latin America.
To speak of the impact of Hernández Sampieri is, to a large extent, to speak of the impact of the knowledge that has helped to democratize.
One of the most recognized characteristics of his work is his extraordinary ability to explain complex concepts with clarity. Making explanations simple, without sacrificing depth, rigor, or academic rigor, has become one of the greatest strengths of his pedagogical legacy. His approach has helped numerous students understand that research is not a domain reserved for a select few specialists, but rather a possibility available to those who approach knowledge with method, curiosity, and discipline.
Added to this is a human dimension that was also highlighted during the ceremony: the simplicity, approachability and generosity with which the researcher shares his experience and knowledge.
His academic output also includes over 100 scientific articles and book chapters published in specialized journals, as well as extensive experience as an evaluator of research projects and scientific articles and as a member of editorial boards for international academic publications. He has directed and co-directed over one hundred theses and participated in numerous academic and consulting projects.
His teaching career spans over five decades, from his early years as a literacy teacher in low-income communities in the Mexico City Metropolitan Area to his current work as a professor-researcher and trainer of researchers. He has taught and conducted research at institutions such as Anáhuac University, the National Polytechnic Institute, the Ibero-American University, the University of Celaya, and the University of Guanajuato, among others.
His academic experience is complemented by a broad professional and business career, which includes his time as Director of Cinematography at the Ministry of the Interior of Mexico, his participation for more than three decades in consulting activities and his advising organizations and companies in various sectors in Latin America.
His work has been recognized with important distinctions, including the Teponaxtli National Communication Award, the National Award for Best Research from the Mexican Association of Communicators, the National Psychology Award of Mexico and the Raúl Nieto Boada Medal, in addition to multiple recognitions as a distinguished visiting professor and honorary professor.
Currently, Dr. Hernández Sampieri serves as director of the Research Center and coordinator of the Doctoral Program in Administration and Development at the University of Celaya, is a member of the National System of Researchers of Mexico, professor-researcher and member of the Institutional Research Committee of the University of Guanajuato and president of the College of Communication of Guanajuato.
A Laudatio for a career that leaves a mark
The ceremony included the Academic Laudation, delivered by Dr. Magdy De Las Salas, Director of Research and Innovation, the academic sponsor of the event, who highlighted the significance of awarding this distinction for the first time in the history of UMECIT.
“Doing it for the first time implies an enormous responsibility, because when a university confers an Honorary Doctorate it recognizes the merits of a career, intellectual rigor, integrity and generosity in sharing what has been learned,” he said.
In that regard, he noted that it is deeply significant that this first academic distinction is awarded to Dr. Roberto Hernández Sampieri, whose relationship with UMECIT has been built over years and whose contribution has transcended the classroom to become part of the institution's research history.
The Laudatio It highlighted not only the magnitude of his academic output, but also his ability to connect theory with practice and to bridge different approaches to knowledge. His contribution to the understanding and articulation of quantitative and qualitative research approaches is one of the central elements of a body of work that has shaped methodological training in Latin America.
“It is an honor for me to receive it from this prestigious institution.”
Upon receiving the award, Dr. Roberto Hernández Sampieri expressed his gratitude to UMECIT and highlighted the role that, in his opinion, the institution has achieved in the field of higher education and research in the region.
“It is an honor for me, because UMECIT is known for being a driving force in the region, a beacon of research. It is very important for me to receive this recognition from such a prestigious institution,” he stated.
The academic highlighted that UMECIT's growth is not limited to the consolidation of its academic proposal, but is also expressed in a comprehensive vision of training and in its presence in different areas of society.
“UMECIT is characterized by its high academic standards and its commitment to continuous improvement year after year, not content with simply reaching a certain level,” he noted. In his remarks, he also highlighted the University's work in areas such as sports, culture, and health, both individually and publicly, as well as its contribution to the betterment of the community.
For Hernández Sampieri, this growth process has allowed the institution to transcend its borders and leave a mark on the Ibero-American sphere.
“Today it is an international university that promotes ethics, respect, tolerance, equity and solidarity with the country, with Latin America and with society in general,” he stated.
The new Doctor Honoris Causa also highlighted the University's educational philosophy, which aims to train professionals who not only possess technical knowledge, but are also able to understand their environment and act responsibly in the face of society's challenges.
“UMECIT seeks to educate competent human beings and prioritizes critical, holistic and prospective thinking,” he said, before referring to the institution as a university that, throughout its history, “has become a great university.”.
His words imbued the ceremony with a meaning that transcended mere protocol. The recognition was received not only as a personal distinction, but also as a meeting point between a career dedicated to research and an institution that has made education, knowledge generation, and social transformation integral to its educational mission.
A tribute to the research and to those who make it possible.
The awarding of the Honorary Doctorate takes on special significance as it takes place precisely within the framework of a Congress dedicated to research incubators and the strengthening of young scientific talent.
The award to Dr. Hernández Sampieri also symbolizes UMECIT's commitment to higher education that understands research as an essential component of professional training and as a tool to understand problems, generate knowledge and provide solutions to the needs of society.
During the Congress, which brought together 510 student researchers, 52 presentations in the form of scientific posters, national and international speakers and seven disciplinary workshops, the presence of Dr. Hernández Sampieri made it possible to connect the experience of one of the great references of research methodology with the talent of the new generations.
In a setting dedicated precisely to those who are beginning to travel the path of research, his investiture acquires a particular symbolic value: the teacher and the researcher who for decades has taught others to formulate questions, build knowledge and understand reality now meets with a new generation called to continue that path.
For UMECIT, this recognition constitutes a new milestone in its institutional history and, at the same time, a way to honor the knowledge, academic excellence and commitment of those who have dedicated their lives to making research a path to transform education and society.
The Honorary Doctorate awarded to Dr. Roberto Hernández Sampieri not only recognizes an exceptional career. It also celebrates a way of understanding academia: with rigor, with a teaching vocation, with openness to knowledge, and above all, with the conviction that research is a way of questioning the world in order to contribute to transforming it.
In its first investiture of this nature, UMECIT wanted to make clear what also defines its own university project: that knowledge acquires its true meaning when it is shared, taught, researched and put at the service of new generations.