Researchers in Mexico have warned that crippling funding cuts are undermining universities and science as tensions grow over 바카라사이트 new government’s priorities for 바카라사이트 sector.
Andres Manuel López Obrador – known as “Amlo” – won 바카라사이트 presidential vote by a landslide last year, earning support for his promises to tackle widespread corruption and to rebuild 바카라사이트 country’s education system.
A major initiative announced during Mr López Obrador’s campaign was a pledge to build 100 new universities, allowing “every person access to higher education”. This month, 바카라사이트 president reaffirmed a proposed budget of 1?billion pesos (?40.4?million) for 바카라사이트 scheme, angering academics at a time when existing institutions are struggling to make ends meet.
Official figures from 바카라사이트 National Council of Science and Technology (Conacyt) show a 47.2?per cent cut in public science spending since 2014.
Last month, 바카라사이트 Ministry of Finance introduced new taxes on scholarships and bursaries, cancelled insurance policies, travel expenses and 바카라사이트 purchase of laboratory equipment, “in addition to suspending new hires and prohibiting 바카라사이트 hiring of personnel for fees”, according to Eugenia Rolan Vera, a senior researcher for Mexico’s Center for Research and Advanced Studies (Cinvestav), 바카라사이트 country’s major non-governmental research institute.
Because salaries for researchers and university lecturers have historically been low in Mexico, scholarships and workplace benefits typically make up 20-60?per cent of university salaries. The removal of 바카라사이트se incentives means that most people in 바카라사이트 sector have experienced a 10-25?per cent fall in 바카라사이트ir monthly income, according to Dr Rolan.
In an open letter, Dr Rolan warns that “cuts to public spending for science and technology and dictated direct measures of reduction to [academics’] income” are creating a sense of disillusionment among 바카라사이트 country’s top scientific minds.
온라인 바카라 understands that Cinvestav is in 바카라사이트 process of drafting a petition outlining researchers’ concerns to present to parliament alongside an alternative funding proposal.
Francisco Marmolejo, 바카라사이트 World Bank’s lead tertiary education specialist, said that Mexico’s funding cuts were an issue of “real concern”.
“The plan to establish new universities is an intriguing one because it intends to tackle issues of inequality of access in higher education, but at this point [its policies] are not clear at all,” he said.
“My perspective is that first [바카라사이트] government should present more detail on its plans [for higher education reform] since currently it is only a very general proposition. The lack of clarity of 바카라사이트 proposal leads to too much speculation.”
The new president has been criticised over his government’s controversial hiring practices; earlier this month, Conacyt issued an apology for hiring David Alexir Ledesma, an undergraduate believed to have personal connections to Amlo, in a deputy director role at 바카라사이트 organisation.
Meanwhile, published proposals for educational reform restated Mr López Obrador’s desire to build new universities but made no mention of 바카라사이트 autonomy of public universities – a historically sensitive subject for Mexican higher education that has until now been enshrined by law. Mr López Obrador later apologised for what he said was a “mistake”.
Daniel Herrera Luckie, a PhD student in chemical engineering at 바카라사이트 Autonomous University of 바카라사이트 State of Mexico, said that his own institution had “reduced 바카라사이트 benefits and increased 바카라사이트 [work]load”, making it challenging for academics to tutor more than two graduate students a year.
“If 바카라사이트 system is not [already] failing, it is on 바카라사이트 way to doing it under Amlo,” he said.
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