INTERHES

Oscar is a law and social science researcher, specialising in social finance, qualitative research and software for qualitative data analysis and management (CAQDAS). He has fieldwork experience in rural and urban areas, as well as in financial development looking at social impact in connection with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).  He holds a PhD in International Development from the University of East Anglia (UEA, 2009); Masters’ degree in International Commercial and Business Law, focused on the stock market, arbitration and comparative approaches (UEA, 2002) and Bachelors’ degree in Law from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM, 1995). He is a co-founder, researcher and Board treasurer at INTEHRES, and visiting researcher at UEA.

His recent professional experience includes working in the UK as Senior Research Associate at UEA’s School of Biological Sciences; external consultant for Itad on an ‘impact evaluation’ project looking at financial innovation for small and growing businesses (SGBs) in Nicaragua. He has also worked as a researcher at the University of Kent’s School of Law, in the £0.5 million ‘Bingo Project’ funded by the British government (ESRC) involving large-scale comparative legal analysis and delivery of policy recommendations on EU laws, regulation, case law, and gender perspective. Research officer at the University of London’s Institute of Education (IoE, now part of University College London). Senior Research Associate in the consultancy ‘International Development UEA’ working on a £100,000 project sponsored by the ESRC, involving capacity building on qualitative methodologies, and ‘qualitative longitudinal’ research. Secondment in the UK’s Medical Research Council, Social Science Programme in Uganda for a qualitative longitudinal cohort study.  Previously, he worked as law practitioner in ‘external legal auditing’, arbitration and consultancy at ‘Rodolfo León Solicitors’ law-firm in Mexico, including legal analysis of laws, regulations and national policies (1991-2001).

Oscar is a member of the ‘Global Network MX’ (Mexican professionals abroad) where he mainly collaborates on academic initiatives and activities related to international co-operation for development. He is also a member of the Advisory Board of ‘Causa Natura’ (think-tank on biodiversity, based in Mexico) and of the ‘Quetzalcóatl’ Rural Development Centre, a not-for-profit agency based in Mexico dedicated to improving social development in highly deprived rural communities in south-eastern Mexico.

His publication record includes Siems, M. and Alvarez, O. (2017). The G20/OECD Principles of Corporate Governance 2015: A Critical Assessment of their Operation and Impact. Journal of Business Law; The OECD Principles of Corporate Governance in Emerging Markets: A Successful Example of Networked Governance? (2013) with M. Siems ; (2012). Stock Market and Legal Institutions for Development: some contemporary debates on financial development and social progress. Foreign Affairs Latin-America & Porrua; (2010). Financial Reform in Mexico, with Alfonso Mercado-García. Centre for Economic Studies at ‘El Colegio de México’ (COLMEX) in Structural Reforms in Mexico; (2008). The Conundrum of Securities Law in Mexico. In ‘Derecho bursátil contemporáneo’. Enríquez, Alvarez-Macotela, Robles & Salazar. Mexico, Porrua / ITAM: 347-371; (2003). Securities Market Manipulation: Situation and laws to fight it. Mexico, Porrua.