Andrés Roemer
Andrés Roemer Slomianski is UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for Social Change and the Free Flow of Knowledge. Currently he is a senior research fellow at Columbia University.
He is a writer, philanthropist, and an internationally recognized public intellectual who is passionate about critical thinking and human rights. Dr. Roemer is a pioneer in creating and implementing key ways of promoting human rights, peace, democracy, science, art, and culture. Through his diverse roles, Roemer has shaped intellectual discourse on public affairs all around the world.
Grandson of the orchestral conductor Ernesto Roemer, he grew up in Mexico City. He has received various cultural awards and prizes, and has created and produced several television programs.
Roemer is honorary curator and co-founder of Ciudad de las Ideas along with Grupo Salinas, an annual festival in the Mexican state of Puebla, as well as the creator of "Rethinking G20: Designing the Future" pre-G20 of 2012 G-20 Los Cabos summit in 2012, of the "Mex-I-Am" and co-funder of the "Haus der Musik", museum in Puebla City.
Andrés Roemer has a PhD in Public Policy from the Goldman School of Public Policy of University of California at Berkeley, where he earned the Academic Distinction for his thesis regarding water Public Policies. He earned a Master's in Public Administration from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. He specialized on Cultural Policies, Law and Economics and Evolutionary Psychology. And member of several economic, public policy and cultural associations in the United States, Mexico, Latin-America and Europe.
He is also author of sixteen books and two plays that treat diverse topics. His works are characterized for his deep analysis of non-market activities through economic analysis of law such as: happiness, art, sexuality, love, water, soccer, law, economics, crime, evolutionary psychology, government and public policy. The San Francisco Chronicle called him a "rare public figure who deserves to be called a Renaissance man." Hillel Neuer, executive director of UN Watch, speaks to Dr. Roemer's success in all he has done in the following quotation:
“Andrés Roemer, Mexico’s newly-arrived ambassador to UNESCO in Paris, is not only a diplomat, political analyst, attorney, economist, think tank founder, and author of 16 books and two award-winning plays. He is also a hero.”
Andrés is devoted to empowering people and has orchestrated pivotal international meetings to encourage critical thinking and promote social responsibility, which made him a distinguished member of the advisory board of the Mexican National Human Rights Commission, elected by the Senate.
He has also won several national and international awards, with an emphasis on the prestigious Elise and Walter A. Haas International Award from the University of California at Berkeley, obtained only by great personalities such as President of Ecuador, Galo Plaza; President of Pakistan, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto; UN Commissioner, Sadako Ogata; Hans Hollein the Pritzker Architecture Prize; President of Costa Rica, Miguel Ángel Rodríguez and Yuan Tseh "YT" Lee Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Also Microsoft Corporation created the Microsoft Award "Andres Roemer" for distinction in service to the community of scholars. He also won the Promotion of Science Award in 2010 from the Nobel Prize Mario Molina and the former president of the Mexican Academy of Sciences, Arturo Menchaca, and was awarded the National Theatre Award "Emilio Carballido" as best national author for his play The Other Einstein in 2009. Also, he received the International Sephardic Leadership Award, granted by the American Sephardi Federation, in New York City, in May 2017.
Mexican diplomat, he was the UNESCO Mexico's Ambassador in Paris, France. Until May 31, 2016 he served as General Consul of Mexico in San Francisco, California.
Since 2017, Andrés Roemer is a partner-co-founder of the first franchise of The School of Life in Mexico. Since then, The School of Life Mexico is in activities through the sale of materials and books that seek to build emotional intelligence at personal and professional levels
Education
Dr. Roemer completed two undergraduate degrees, a BA in economics at the Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México in Mexico City graduating with honours and a Bachelor in Law from the National Autonomous University of Mexico where he graduated with honours as well. He did a master's degree in Public Administration at Harvard University where he earned the "Don K. Price" Award for Academic Distinction and Commitment within the Public Sector. Roemer also has a Ph.D. in public policy from the Goldman School of Public Policy of University of California at Berkeley, where he earned the Academic Distinction for his thesis regarding water Public Policies and he was appointed Notorious Alumni of the Goldman School of Public Policy. He specialized on Cultural Policies, Law and Economics and Evolutionary Psychology.Academic positions
Currently he is a senior research fellow at Columbia University. As off 2016, Dr. Roemer is associate lecturer at the faculty of Singularity University. Between 2011 and 2013, he was senior research fellow at the law school at the University of California, Berkeley.From 1987 until 2000, Roemer worked as professor at the Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México teaching the courses "Law and Economics", "Economics of Culture and Art", "Microeconomics", "Public Policy," "Economics of Crime" and "Law and Economics." He also served as professor within the Master in Public Administration programme and taught courses such as "Public Policies" and "Economic Analysis of Law" at Centro de Investigación y Docencia Económicas 1997 to 1999.
Between 1992 and 1994, he was professor in the Master in Public Policy between Mexico and the United States at the Goldman School of Public Policy at the University of California, Berkeley. In 1990, he worked as assistant professor at John F. Kennedy School of Government and taught the course entitled "Leadership and Mobilization of Human Resources " and the Theodore Panayotuo course on "Economics of Natural Resources". Additionally, he created and developed the course entitled "Press, Politics and Public Policy: The Latin American Case.”
Dr. Roemer has given lectures at , the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, the Escuela Superior de Economia y Negocios in El Salvador, the Central University of Venezuela, the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru and the University of San Martin de Porres in Peru. He has lectured as well in the Externado University of Colombia and the Pontifical Xavierian University in Colombia, at the Diego Portales University in Chile, the University of Belgrano and Torcuato di Tella University in Argentina, in the Brazilian Institute of Public Law, in the Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona, in the London School of Economics part of the University of London, in the Inter-American Development Bank, and commencement speaker International Midwestern University, UC Berkeley and in several other American universities such as Boston University, Harvard University, Phoenix, Stanford and Royal Society of Arts.
Civil service and public appointments
Dr. Roemer was Mexico's Ambassador to UNESCO based in Paris, France, ratified by Senate of Mexico on April 14, 2016. Regarding his time in this position, the websiteFrom 2000 to 2003, he was Secretary Technician "B" of Cultural Policy in the National Council for Culture and Arts. From 1998 to 1999 he worked as Technical Secretary of the Social Development Cabinet in the Office of former president Ernesto Zedillo and personal advisor in special topics for the New Federalism Project in Mexico from 1995 to 1997. Also, between 1994 and 1995, Dr. Roemer worked as the coordinator of strategy of the Ministry of the Interior.
He was also advisor to the president Carlos Salinas de Gortari for his presidential campaign, within the area of Guillermo Raul Ruiz de Teresa. Between 1988 and 1990 he served in the National Nutrition Commission and from 1985 to 1988, served as head of the Department of Econometric Analysis at the Secretary of Fisheries, now known as Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources.
Roemer was removed as Mexico's ambassador to UNESCO following his refusal to cast the country's support of the Occupied Palestine Resolution. Despite this, Mexico later retracted its support for the document and instead moved to vote against the resolution.
Professional profile
Since 2007, Roemer is cofounder and honorary curator with Ricardo Salinas Pliego of the "Ciudad de las Ideas Brilliant Minds International Festival." He was the creator of "Rethinking G20: Designing the Future" pre-G20 of 2012 G-20 Los Cabos summit in 2012 and the "Mexiam" Cultural Festival in San Francisco, Cal in 2014 and cofunder of the Casa de la Música de Viena en Puebla From 2003 to 2015 he created and produced several television programs; in addition to being a writer and columnist in many journals and newspapers El Universal and La Crónica de Hoy.From 1997 to 1998, he was principal for Latin America regarding public policy, business and leadership issues in Booz Allen Hamilton, Mexico City.
He was also the founding president of the executive commission of the Mexican Academy of Law and Economics, the co-founder, member and chairman of the executive commission of the Latin American and Caribbean Association of Law and Economics, and member in the international area of the Mexican School of Lawyers, and president of the Alumni Association Fulbright-Garcia Robles.
Main ideas
Roemer has mainly focused his work on the economic analysis of the nonmarket forces, i.e. those goods or services that cannot be directly evaluated within the economy notwithstanding they significantly influence the economic system, such as feelings and emotions. Furthermore, he coined the terms "demonocracy" e "ideasta." Demonocracy is the gradual deceit or manipulation of the legitimate leader of a democratic country over the decisions of the citizens to choose and vote, restricting their true freedom and individual rights; it is a failure of democracy:The reform to Article 41 of the Mexican Constitution, Chavez in Venezuela, Correa in Ecuador and Morales in Bolivia, among others, teaches us that a democratic election does not guarantee democratic institutions. Even if the majority elects a government, this is not going to be a democratic one if it begins making legal amendments that would contain power at the expense of political rights and civil liberties.
The term ideasta refers to the person who formulates creative and revolutionary ideas about the world; the one who comes up with new ways of thinking in order to create more knowledge, novel paradigms, innovations and inventions in order to enhance the mind and open multiple horizons, allowing the growth and development of the individual and the world, because ideas:
Publications
Dr. Roemer has conducted a series of PhD thesis, as well as a Negotiation Board Game, more than 1,000 television programs, has created more than 300 radio programs, has participated in more than 30 books and specialized journals and magazines. He has authored the following books:- in John Brockman's The Last Unknowns: Deep, Elegant, Profound Unanswered Questions About the Universe, the Mind, the Future of Civilization, and the Meaning of Life, 2019.
- in John Brockman's What scientific term or concept ought to be more widely known?, 2017.
- in John Brockman's What to Think About Machines That Think: Today's Leading Thinkers on the Age of Machine Intelligence. New York: Harper Perennial, pp. 500–502, 2015.
- Move UP with Clotaire Rapaille. UK: Allen Lane, 2015. South Korea: Wiseberry, 2016.
- Oskar and Jack. México: Editorial Miguel Ángel Porrúa, 2011.
- The Other Einstein. México: Editorial Miguel Ángel Porrúa, 2008.
- Why Do We Love Football soccer? . México: Editorial Miguel Ángel Porrúa, 2008.
- No: An Imperative From Generation Next. México: Editorial Aguilar, 2007.
- "What to do effectively combat terrorism?" in The Latin American and Caribbean Journal of Legal Studies, Vol. 1, Issue 1, Article 4,, pp. 1–25.
- Terrorism and Organized Crime: An Economic and Legislation Focus . México: Instituto de Investigaciones Jurídicas, UNAM, 2006.
- Between the Public and the Private: 1300 + 13 Questions to Think about Thinking. México: Editorial Noriega, 2005.
- Happiness: A Law and Economics Focus . México: Instituto de Investigaciones Jurídicas-UNAM, 2005.
- Enigmas and Paradigms: An Exploration between Art and Public Policy. México: Limusa Editores-ITAM-UIA, 2003.
- "Philosophy of Law" in Rodolfo Vázquez and José María Lujambio. Contemporary Philosophy of Law in Mexico Testimonys and Perspectives. México: Distribuciones Fontamara, 2002.
- Crime Economics. México: Limusa Editores, 2000. Roemer, A...
- Law and Economics: Revising the Literature . Prologue by Richard A. Posner. México: FCE- CED, 2000.
- Coauthored with Esteban Moctezuma Barragán A New Public Management in Mexico: Towards a Government That Produces Results The Political Economy of Latin America México: FCE, SMGE, CED, Academia Metropolitana, 1999..
- Sexuality, Law and Public Policy. México: Editorial Porrúa-AMDE-ISSSTE, 1998.
- Economics and Law: Water Public Policy. México: Editorial Porrúa-SMGE-CIDE- FCE, 1997.
- “Answer to Rodolfo Vazquez’s Comments” in Isonomy: Law’s Theory and Philosophy Magazine, Issue 5, pp. 153–159.
- The Game of Negotiation. México: ITAM, 1994.
- An Introduction to Economic Analysis in Law. México: FCE-ITAM-SMGE, 1994.
Awards and recognitions
- Winner of The annual 'Amir Aczel of Sciences and Humanities 2019' Prize awarded by the 'Amir D. Aczel' Foundation in May 2019 at in San Francisco.
- Given the Guardian of Truth and History Award by StandWithUs in October 2017 in Los Angeles, CA.
- Titled UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for Social Change and the Free Flow of Knowledge in September 2017.
- Awarded the Eleanor Roosevelt Human Rights Award by United Nations Watch in September 2017.
- Presented the Normandt Chateau Roch Award for Bravery in Normandy in September 2017.
- Knighted into the Sovereign Order of Saint John of Jerusalem in Rhodes, Greece in September 2017.
- International Recognition for the Defense of Human Heritage and Human Rights awarded by the Simon Wiesenthal Center in June 2017.
- Recipient of the Sephardic International Leadership Award in New York City for his moral courage granted by The American Sephardi Federation.
- Grand Decoration of Honor, degree of Cross official, granted by the Austrian government by hands of Ambassador Eva Hager, for Services to the Republic of Austria.
- National Award for Journalistic Excellence of Club de Periodistas de Mexico by TV program "En el Ring" in the Debate and Critical Journalism category.
- Notorious Alumni of the Goldman School of Public Policy from University of California at Berkeley.
- The Elise and Walter A. Haas International Award 2013 of the University of California at Berkeley.
- Theatre Journalists Association Award for Human Rights Defense for his play Oskar and Jack in 2013.
- Qualitas Award for Best TV youth program in public TV "Ciudad de las Ideas" awarded by the Asociación A Favor de lo Mejor in 2012.
- Distinction for the Promotion of Science, awarded by the Nobel Prize in Chemistry Mario Molina and the former president of the Mexican Academy of Sciences, Arturo Menchaca, in 2010.
- Recognition as "Successful Man" and "Entry in the Golden Book of the Jewish Sports Center, AC" in 2010.
- Winner of "Bravo Award" for best play for The Other Einstein in 2009 awarded by the Rafael Banquells Association, AC.
- National Theatre Award "Emilio Carballido" as best national playwrighter for his work The Other Einstein in 2009.
- Professional Achievement Award from the Alumni Association of ITAM in 2007.
- Recipient of the "Golden Seagull" Award, Brilliant Minds category in 2007.
- Microsoft Corporation created the Microsoft Award "Andrés Roemer" for Law and Economics Development for Distinguished Service to the Academic Community delivered since 2006 to date in 12 countries.
- Mexico-Israel Cultural Award in 2006.
- Prize for Law and Economics in 2005 from the University of California at Berkeley, Boalt Hall School of Law and the Latin-American Association of Law and Economics.
- Latin American Award for Law and Economics in 2000 with Esteban Moctezuma for the book A New Public Management in Mexico: Towards a Government That Produces Results The Political Economy of Latin America.
- National Award Eight Golden Pillars in 2000 for his contributions in the field of Social Sciences.
- Awards and Fellowships at Harvard, Berkeley, Fulbright, Ford, CONACYT, SEP and ITAM within the period of 1985–1994.
- Banco Nacional de México Prize in Economics for his doctoral dissertation in Public Policy in 1994.
- Academic Distinction for his doctoral thesis in 1993 at the University of California, Berkeley.
- Benito Juárez Medal, awarded by the former president of Mexico, Carlos Salinas de Gortari, for Academic Excellence in 1993.
- Don K. Price Award for best student and academic distinction at the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, in 1991.
- Prize Tlacaelel for his Economics undergraduate dissertation in 1989.
- Honorable Distinction at UNAM for his Law degree and at ITAM for his BA in economics in 1987.
Associations
- Member of The American Philosophical Association since 2018.
- Founding Member and Curator of the board of advisors of Poder Civico A.C. / La Ciudad de las Ideas since 2008.
- Member of the Bertrand Russell Society.
- Member of the advisory board of Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science.
- Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, UK.
- Member of the Bohemian Club, San Francisco, from 2013 to 2016.
- Member of the honorary trustees of The Mexican Museum in San Francisco
- Member of the board of trustees of the Eduardo's Punset Foundation
- Member of the Human Behavior And Evolution Society in 2013.
- Member of the advisory board of the National Human Rights Commission certified by the Senate of the Republic from 2010 to 2013.
- Fellow of the Mexican Institute of Culture in 2007.
- Member of the European Association for Cultural Economics.
- President of the Fulbright-García Robles Alumni Association 2002 to 2005.
- President and co-founder of the executive commission of the Latin-American and Caribbean Law and Economics Association, ALACDE since 2003.
- President and founder of the executive committee of the Mexican Academy of Law and Economics, AMDE from 1994 to 2001.
- Associate member of the Panamerican Law and Economics Association in 1991.