ESIME Celebrates 110 Years of Transforming Engineering

By Adda Avendaño | Photography: Jorge Aguilar — September 11, 2026

Director Mauro Alberto Enciso emphasized that the institution has accompanied Mexico's primary technological transformations throughout its history.

At the "Ing. Eugenio Méndez Docurro" Memorial Center—the cradle of technical engineering and modern industrial development in Mexico—the traditional "huélum" cheer resonated to mark the 110th anniversary of the School of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering (Escuela Superior de Ingeniería Mecánica y Eléctrica, ESIME).

Ismael Jaidar Monter, Secretary General of the Instituto Politécnico Nacional (IPN), emphasized that the institution is closely linked to national technological development and remains a fundamental pillar of Mexico's history.

Representing IPN Director General Arturo Reyes Sandoval, Jaidar recalled that for over a century, ESIME has evolved in line with the nation’s needs, expanding its academic programs into cutting-edge fields such as electronics, telecommunications, automation, robotics, automotive systems, aeronautics, and photonics.

"The identity forged by generations of engineers achieves its true value when technical knowledge translates into solutions and service to others, just as ESIME has done for eleven decades," he stated.

This anniversary, he added, represents an opportunity to recognize past achievements while anticipating what Mexico will require in the coming decades, particularly given the rapid pace of technological innovation and challenges such as energy transition, semiconductor manufacturing, advanced materials, photonics, and digital manufacturing.

During the ceremony, the Director of ESIME Zacatenco and event host, Mauro Alberto Enciso Aguilar, declared that ESIME’s 110-year journey reflects the history of an institution that has driven Mexico’s major industrial transformations.

"ESIME has educated professionals who participated in the electrification of the country, the development of the oil industry, the modernization of transportation, and the creation of the aerospace sector, while currently contributing to fields like robotics, artificial intelligence, telecommunications, and advanced manufacturing," he noted.

This commemoration, he affirmed, rather than being merely a celebratory act, must serve as a renewed commitment to continue training outstanding engineers, driving research, strengthening connections with productive sectors, and "continuing to be, as we have been for 110 years, a foundational pillar of Mexico's technological and economic development."

Four Campuses, One ESIME

During the panel discussion "ESIME: Legacy and Future — 110 Years of Mexican Engineering with Polytechnic Leadership," former IPN Directors General José Gerstl Valenzuela, Raúl Talán Ramírez, and Diódoro Guerra Rodríguez agreed that the school's four campuses—Azcapotzalco, Culhuacán, Ticomán, and Zacatenco—must join forces to preserve the academic heritage that has established ESIME as a national benchmark in engineering.

Dr. José Gerstl Valenzuela, former IPN Director General from 1974 to 1976, explained that the disciplines taught at ESIME are precisely those driving today’s global economy. However, he noted that the school faces the crucial task of adapting to emerging technologies to maintain its position as a leading institution.

Speaking before the maroon-and-white Polytechnic community and the directors of the Culhuacán unit, Dalila Ruíz Domínguez, and the Azcapotzalco unit, Hilario Bautista Morales, Dr. Raúl Talán (Director General from 1985 to 1988) expressed that ESIME did not reach its 110th anniversary by standing still, but through continuous transformation in its classrooms, workshops, and laboratories.

He recalled that during ESIME’s early years, academic disciplines were strictly compartmentalized, whereas today artificial intelligence and autonomous systems have dissolved traditional technological boundaries. Consequently, updating curricula and academic programs is essential to preparing the professionals Mexico will need for the second half of the 21st century.

Meanwhile, Diódoro Guerra Rodríguez (Director General from 1994 to 2000) maintained that ESIME helped drive virtually all of Mexico's industrialization, electrification, and infrastructure development across telecommunications, petroleum, manufacturing, aeronautics, and automation. From its inception, it was designed to shape the present and future of the nation.

"The community has forged an academic, technological, and social heritage rooted in the education of highly qualified engineers, as well as their contributions to knowledge, technological development, and the creation of new professional fields," he highlighted.

However, he noted that this legacy alone does not guarantee continued relevance amid rapidly changing technological landscapes. Therefore, adopting new multidisciplinary approaches and fostering international academic engagement are essential to successfully integrating into the global technological transformation.