My research journey has focused on two interrelated areas that I consider fundamental to understanding and improving contemporary education: comparative education policy and educational technology, with a growing emphasis on both school systems and higher education. Over the past three decades, I have endeavored to establish a coherent research program that bridges the gap between empirical evidence, educational practice, and public policy formulation.

Main Research lines

1. Educational policies for better governance and innovation capacities

A first line of research has explored how public policies can promote better governance and management in both school systems and higher education, while improving the innovation capacities of educational institutions, particularly supported by technology and AI:

  • Governance of educational innovation: I have researched how education systems can develop institutional capacities, while fostering institutional autonomy, to manage change and promote sustainable innovations in diverse contexts.
  • Comparative analysis of educational innovation policies: My work at the OECD enabled me to conduct comparative studies on national strategies for technology integration in various contexts, identifying success factors and common barriers.
  • Impact assessment of technology initiatives in education: I have contributed to the development of methodological frameworks to evaluate the actual impact of investments in educational technology, focusing particularly on the relationship between technology use and learning outcomes.


2. Digital transformation of higher education

My secondary interest in recent years has been to analyze how digitization is reshaping higher education globally. From my position at UNESCO IESALC, and particularly during and after the pandemic, I have led pioneering studies on:

  • Artificial intelligence in higher education: I have researched the applications, potential, and ethical challenges of AI in university contexts, publishing one of the first systematic analyses on the subject in Latin America (“Applications of Artificial Intelligence to higher education,” 2020).
  • The platformization of higher education: Analyzing how digital platforms change educational provision models, pedagogical processes, and relationships between institutions, teachers, and students. My article “The platformization of higher education: challenges and implications” (2023) offers an analytical framework for understanding this emerging phenomenon.
  • Technology-mediated pedagogical innovation: From my early work at the UOC to the present day, I have researched how technologies can transform university teaching practices when designed with solid educational foundations, as reflected in publications such as “Inspired by Technology, Driven by Pedagogy” (2010).

3. Emerging international trends in education

My role in international organizations has allowed me to research emerging trends on a global scale:

  • Quality and equity: while international comparative research has mostly focused on either side of the same coin, I have done my best to demonstrate the links between the two, particularly in school education 
  • Futures of education: I currently lead a research program on prospective scenarios for school and higher education, analyzing how factors such as demographics, technology, and labor market demands are reshaping the sector.
  • Internationalization and cooperation: I have analyzed the evolution of North-South collaboration in higher education, along with the emergence of new forms of digital internationalization.

Methodological and epistemological approach

My research approach is characterized by:

  • International comparative perspective: I employ comparative analysis to identify patterns, trends, and transferable lessons across contexts, avoiding oversimplification and respecting cultural and socioeconomic particularities.
  • Methodological complementarity: I combine quantitative methods (analysis of large educational databases, particularly from the OECD and UIS) with qualitative approaches (case studies, policy analysis) to gain a deeper understanding of the phenomena under study.
  • Evidence-based policy orientation: My research aims to generate actionable knowledge that informs policy decisions, thereby bridging the gap between academia and public policymakers.
  • International collaboration: I have cultivated an extensive network of partnerships with researchers and institutions across Europe and the Global South, with a keen interest in Latin America and the Caribbean, allowing me to address global issues from diverse perspectives.