Visiting Scholar Report: Jeronimo Lopez-Martinez
Jeronimo Lopez-Martinez is an Emeritus Professor at the Universidad Autonoma de Madrid. His Visiting Scholarship was hosted by the Mexican Agency for Antarctic Studies (AMEA), supported by AMEA Director Dr Pablo Torres Lepe.
The SCAR Visiting Scholar scheme supported a visit to Mexico between October and November 2022 to both meet with scientists, policymakers and students, and engage in an ambitious programme of activities.
Image: Jeronimo Lopez-Martinez with Dr Pablo Torres Lepe (AMEA Director) at the Mexican Parliament
The core purpose of the Visiting Scholar Scheme is to build capacity in countries with smaller or less-developed Antarctic research programmes. Dr. Lopez-Martinez’s visit to Mexico, supported by the Visiting Scholar award, enabled him to engage in an extensive programme of meetings and other activities, with two aims:
- promote and develop the involvement of the Mexican academic and scientific community on Antarctic research, and
- support the AMEA efforts to motivate the interest of the governmental and scientific authorities for developing Mexican Antarctic research and that the country sign the Antarctic Treaty.
He gave a number of lectures and presentations during his visit, and met with key individuals accompanied by Dr Torres Lepe. These lectures and meetings provided an opportunity to highlight the importance of Antarctic scientific research and the international coordination, the SCAR role and activities, its Scientific Research Programmes and the existing opportunities for early career scientists.
Image: Jeronimo Lopez-Martinez giving a lecture in Merida, Yucatan
Visit Highlights
Dr. Lopez-Martinez concluded that his visit was “very successful and fruitful”, completing an ambitious programme of meetings and lectures, felt by AMEA to be beneficial to their work. On the impact of his visit, he said the following:
The Mexican scientific community has capabilities and motivation to develop its participation in SCAR. A future increase of Mexico’s involvement will contribute to reinforce Antarctic research and the Antarctic Treaty System.
This visit to Mexico has reinforced my opinion about the interest of maintaining the SCAR Visiting Scholar Scheme and the convenience that its main focus continues being activities in benefit of SCAR countries in early stages of development of their Antarctic research.
Dr. Lopez-Martinez aims to continue his support for the future participation of Mexico in Antarctic research and SCAR, and remains in contact with AMEA and others met during his visit.
The full report is available here: and on the SCAR Visiting Scholars webpage together with the full list of previous SCAR Fellows and available reports. Dr Lopez-Martinez’s visit was also covered by a number of media outlets:
- Newspaper article in “Crónica”, published in advance to the visit
- Newspaper article in “El País”, edition for Mexico, and Central and South America
- Interview in the magazine and website of the Secretariat of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation of Mexico City
- Interview in TV UNAM (min 8 – 21)
- News in “Diario de la Península”, Yucatán
- Article in LJA-Mexico
The SCAR Visiting Scholar Programme is designed to build capacity in countries with smaller or less-developed Antarctic research programmes. The scheme was inaugurated in 2013 and is directed at researchers, more than five years after their PhDs, whose work contributes to the research objectives of SCAR, offering an opportunity to undertake a short-term visit to another SCAR member country.
Dr Lopez-Martinez’s full report is available through the SCAR Library