Mendoza Nunez Soilo Ioannovich in 1966 graduated from the Faculty of Engineering of the Patrice Lumumba University of Peoples' Friendship with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. He began his career at the Ford Motor Company, but his passion for teaching took over. Over 50 years of his career at the Polytechnic University of Mexico, he taught generations of students who, following his example, have been continuing their studies in Russian universities. He himself says that what is best in him he owes to UDN.

I always keep in touch with the university and my friends I studied together with. That’s for example Vladimir Timoshek. He was in charge of the Latin America Sector.

As a UDN student I had a pretty busy life. I took part in lots of performances. I learned to play the guitar and even set up a band with my Soviet friend Viktor Simakin. We performed songs in Spanish and Russian. Our duet played at the prom and took part in a performance in the Kremlin Palace of Congresses.

Although I am not very tall, I became a player of the UDN basketball team. During winter holidays we often participated in various competitions. I believe that the best years of my life passed here, at the Peoples' Friendship University.

In the spring of 1961, I submitted my application and was not even sure whether I would receive a scholarship, necessary to study at UDN. Yet I began my preparations and took a course of Russian with private teachers. I liked this language; it did not seem very complicated to me. These classes I attended in Mexico proved to be very useful for my years in Russia.

At the Preparatory Faculty of UDN, we had an in-depth course of Russian. Classes were held daily and lasted 6 hours; we learned to read, write and speak. After classes, our home assignment was to watch Russian television, read newspapers in Russian, and listen to the speech of native speakers. In less than six months we were able to communicate in Russian fairly well.

I tried to get a job with the Polytechnic University, but was not accepted because it was a year-end. I got a job with the Ford Motor Company factory as a designer and worked there for only 3 months: October, November and December. In January, I reapplied to the Polytechnic University and was immediately enrolled as a teaching staff member.

Unfortunately, our contribution in the department designing tools for car assembly was very limited. We were simply adjusting US designs to Mexican conditions. I did not see much potential in that. Had I wanted to become a millionaire, I would probably have stayed there, but I was willing to do something really meaningful, like training personnel for the industry.

My task was to train engineers for the industry of Mexico capable of introducing new technological solutions in production.

I was well prepared and up to the task. I was appointed Head of the Department of Metal Cutting Machines. Besides, for a long time I headed the Laboratory of Computerized Numerical Control Systems.

Over 50 years of my career I prepared highly qualified staff. One of my graduates works in Germany as an engineer at a BMW car factory. Another works in the Netherlands. One more is a doctoral student at the Moscow Aviation Institute. Many of my graduates have had brilliant careers at the factories in Mexico. On top of that, many more followed my example and on my advice went to study abroad. The successes of my students, no matter how modest or big they are, make my life in this world meaningful.

I put a lot of enthusiasm in each of my working days. I carefully looked through current issues related to the academic process and discussed the tasks assigned to the laboratory with my colleagues. After we reached general agreement, I distributed tasks between teachers and students and then carefully examined the work done by students and suggested corrections.

Two days a week I used to exercise at the gym of the University. I was always ready to participate in social events of the University and beyond its walls.

I must admit that in my usual behavior and especially at work, I tried to show those human qualities that I acquired from my Soviet and Russian teachers. I am very grateful to Russian people for my education that truly reinvented my future and for all the joyful moments still standing out in my memory.

I am glad that I am healthy, that I feel good. In terms of education, I am particularly proud to be a graduate of the Peoples' Friendship University. In UDN I became a professional, learned to be a person with an open worldview, learned to be sociable. The University not only trained me as a specialist, but also determined my personal qualities.

I wish them to be good students like us, are, take a responsible approach to learning, and respect the University and our world.