Mexico City | May 7, 2026 — Universidad Panamericana continues to expand its international research footprint through strategic collaborations with leading institutions worldwide. As part of this commitment, Dr. Félix Martínez Ríos, Full-Time Research Professor in the Faculty of Engineering and a Level I member of Mexico’s National System of Researchers (SNII), recently completed a research stay at Harvard Business School (HBS) in Boston.
During his visit, Dr. Martínez collaborated with two leading researchers from the Digital Data Design Institute at Harvard to develop a cutting-edge research project exploring the intersection of artificial intelligence (AI), digital technologies, and decision-making in business environments.
This collaboration originated through an initiative led by Dr. Santiago García, Chancellor of Universidad Panamericana’s Mexico City campus. It was further strengthened following Dr. Martínez’s participation in an international conference in Lisbon, Portugal, where he connected with researchers from Harvard’s Digital Data Design Institute.
Harnessing Artificial Intelligence to Improve Decision-Making
The collaborative project focuses on leveraging artificial intelligence and digital technologies to generate meaningful value for businesses and society.
“Our overarching objective is to conduct controlled interventions within companies that use digital technologies in their operational processes—even if they are not currently using AI—to evaluate how these technologies improve decision-making,” Dr. Martínez said.
The research will examine how artificial intelligence can be effectively combined with human judgment and local contextual knowledge to enhance economic decision-making across large-scale digital platforms.
The project is grounded in empirical evidence generated through randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and real-world administrative data, with particular emphasis on labor markets, business development, and multinational experimentation.
Collaborating with Harvard Business School Researchers
During his research stay, Dr. Martínez worked closely with Rem Koning, Director of the Tech Lab, which provides technological support to all research laboratories within the Harvard Business School AI Institute, and Professor Hossein Alidaee, Principal Investigator at the Tech Lab.
“Both Harvard professors have extensive experience conducting these types of experiments. My contribution will draw on my expertise in artificial intelligence, machine learning, and the design of advanced learning models and information extraction techniques,” Dr. Martínez said.
Advancing Universidad Panamericana’s Research Mission
For the University, this international collaboration represents an important step toward achieving its long-term strategic objectives.
“Research is one of the cornerstones of Universidad Panamericana’s strategic plan. Beyond advancing fundamental science, our goal is to ensure that research outcomes generate meaningful impact for businesses and society as a whole,” Dr. Martínez said.
As an immediate next step, he will assemble a multidisciplinary research team composed of faculty members from across the campus to identify partner companies where the project’s experimental methodologies and analytical models can be implemented.
Research with Global Reach
Dr. Martínez emphasized the significance of collaborating with one of the world’s leading academic institutions.
“The support provided by the Campus Vice Presidency for Research for this research stay has been invaluable. It has given me the opportunity to collaborate with an outstanding research team at Harvard Business School—one of the world’s foremost institutions in this field,” he said.
Looking ahead, he highlighted the broader impact of the partnership:
“For Universidad Panamericana, this collaboration will strengthen the international visibility and impact of our research through joint publications with Harvard faculty. More importantly, it will enable us to develop initiatives that generate tangible benefits for businesses and society while promoting the responsible use of computing technologies and, in particular, artificial intelligence.”
To learn more about Universidad Panamericana’s researchers, visit: https://www.up.edu.mx/investigacion/nuestros-investigadores/
