The assistant dean of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) and assessment was invited in November to discuss her cultural diplomacy research at Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana and Universidad Iberoamericana.
Renowned for her work in public and cultural diplomacy, as well as the role of diaspora communities in these fields, Vanessa Bravo traveled to Mexico City during Thanksgiving break to present her research at two prestigious universities.
The assistant dean of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) and assessment was invited by Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana (UAM), a public university, and Universidad Iberoamericana (IBERO), a private Jesuit institution. She addressed undergraduate and graduate students, as well as professors from the North American Cultural Diplomacy Initiative (NACDI), a multidisciplinary research network of academics, policymakers and practitioners focused on cultural diplomacy in North America and elsewhere.
During her visit, Bravo explored topics such as international migration, the impact of Latino communities in the United States, and the contributions of diaspora communities to public diplomacy.
On Nov. 18, she delivered a lecture to an international relations class at IBERO. Two days later, she addressed a general studies class at UAM and led a “lunch-and-learn” session with more than a dozen professors and researchers from UAM, IBERO, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), and Universidad de las Américas Puebla (UDLAP). The session centered on how public and cultural diplomacy in Mexico might evolve with Donald Trump’s return to the White House.
On Nov. 21, Bravo conducted a workshop on public diplomacy methodologies and theories. The session included a hands-on exercise in creating codebooks, codesheets and coding strategies for qualitative studies. Participants, including master’s and doctoral students from UAM and IBERO, practiced coding press releases from Mexico’s Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores (Foreign Affairs Secretariat).
Eduardo Luciano Tadeo Hernández, a full-time professor at UAM and adjunct instructor at IBERO, co-organized Bravo’s visit with César Villanueva, a professor of international relations at IBERO.
Hernández praised Bravo’s contributions, describing her visit as “a wonderful opportunity to hear her perspectives on diaspora communities, especially within the complex political landscape of North America. Her warmth and expertise left a profound impact on students and professors alike.”
Tania Gómez Zapata of UDLAP, said she relished the opportunity to interact and have an open dialogue with Bravo and other colleagues in attendance.
“She is a promoter of public diplomacy in Latin America and a vital reference for us due to her ongoing support for Latin American colleagues,” Gómez Zapata said.