María Jesús San Segundo facts for kids

Quick facts for kids María Jesús San Segundo OAX
Minister of Education and Science
In office 18 April 2004 – 11 April 2006
Monarch	Juan Carlos I
Prime Minister	José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero
Preceded by	Pilar del Castillo (Education, Culture and Sports) Juan Costa (Science and Technology)
Succeeded by	Mercedes Cabrera
Personal details
Born	25 March 1958 Medina del Campo, Castile and León, Spain
Died	17 December 2010 (age 52) Madrid, Spain
Political party	Spanish Socialist Workers' Party
Alma mater	University of the Basque Country Princeton University

María Jesús San Segundo Gómez de Cadiñanos (born March 25, 1958 – died December 17, 2010) was an important Spanish figure. She was an economist, a university professor, a diplomat, and a politician. From 2004 to 2006, she served as the Minister of Education and Science for Spain.

Early Life and Education

María Jesús San Segundo was born in Medina del Campo, Spain. She grew up and studied in Burgos. She was a very bright student from a young age.

Becoming an Economist

In 1980, María Jesús finished her economics degree. She studied at the University of the Basque Country. She even won a special award for her excellent studies.

She then moved to the United States to continue her education. In 1982, she earned a Master's Degree in Economics. This was from Princeton University in New Jersey. She later completed her Doctorate in Economics there in 1985. Her research focused on the quality of schooling.

A Career in Academia and Government

After her studies, María Jesús worked at the Bank of Spain. She was a fellow there from 1982 to 1984. Later, she became an economics professor. She taught at the University of the Basque Country. She also taught at Carlos III University of Madrid.

Helping Shape Education Policy

From 1994 to 1996, she advised the government on universities and research. She helped make important decisions about higher education. Later, she became the vice-rector of Students at Carlos III University. This role lasted from 2000 to 2004.

In 2002, she joined the University Coordination Council. This group helps organize universities in Spain. In 2004, she advised José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero. He was a candidate for Prime Minister. She helped him plan his government's goals.

Minister of Education and Science

After the 2004 elections, María Jesús became a government minister. She was named the Minister of Education and Science. This was a very important job. She worked to improve education in Spain.

During her time as minister, she led two big reforms. One was the Organic Law of Education (LOE). This law changed how schools worked. The other was a change to the Organic Law of Universities (LOU). These changes aimed to make education better for everyone.

María Jesús left her role as minister in April 2006. This was due to changes in the government.

Later Career and Legacy

After leaving the government, María Jesús continued to serve Spain. She became an ambassador. She represented Spain at Unesco. Unesco is a part of the United Nations. It works to promote education, science, and culture worldwide. She held this important diplomatic role until November 2010.

María Jesús San Segundo wrote many articles. Her writings were about the economics of education. She explored topics like how education is funded. She also studied how well students perform. She looked at how to create equal opportunities in schools.

She passed away in Madrid on December 17, 2010. She was 52 years old. After her death, she received a special honor. It was called the Civil Order of Alfonso X, the Wise. This award recognized her great contributions.

See also

In Spanish: María Jesús San Segundo para niños