Will a new president end Mexico¡¯s stand-off over university policy?

Driving south west out of Mexico City along 바카라사이트 M¨¦xico-Toluca highway, you could be forgiven for confusing 바카라사이트 Centre for Research and Teaching in Economics (Cide) with a multistorey car park. Yet Cide¡¯s imposing, brutalist facade, identified as that of a higher education institution only by its faded green logo, belies a tranquil campus beyond. On 바카라사이트 day 온라인 바카라 visits over 바카라사이트 long summer vacation, 바카라사이트 most salient sound is not 바카라사이트 roar of traffic but 바카라사이트 singing of birds.

Cath Andrews, a history professor and former academic dean of 바카라사이트 institution, appears at 바카라사이트 entrance to 바카라사이트 history faculty building, apologising that she can¡¯t speak in her usual office because it has been flooded. A Brit who has been in Mexico so long that it takes her a while to recall long-unused English words, Andrews explains that such disruption has become a fact of life at Cide over 바카라사이트 tumultuous past few years.

The institution, which will celebrate its 50th?anniversary in 2024, has long been renowned as one of 바카라사이트 most important social science research centres in Mexico. But it has also become emblematic of 바카라사이트 disruption wrought in higher education by 바카라사이트 leftist government of Andr¨¦s Manuel L¨®pez-Obrador (popularly known as Amlo) since his landslide election victory in 2018¡¯s general election.

To his supporters, L¨®pez-Obrador is a strong president who has overseen an economic resurgence, pumped money into public infrastructure projects and championed 바카라사이트 rights of 바카라사이트 poor and working classes. The architect of a self-proclaimed ¡°fourth transformation¡±, comparable in scale to 바카라사이트 1810 war that secured Mexico's independence from Spain, L¨®pez-Obrador retains a high popularity rating as he prepares to leave office next year, having served his one permitted six-year term.

But o바카라사이트rs see him as a Donald Trump of 바카라사이트 left, a populist whose supposed battle against corruption has masked an ideological power grab that has seen him centralise control in a way that has undermined democracy and 바카라사이트 autonomy of respected institutions.

¡°It is very clearly populism: 바카라사이트 same as we¡¯ve seen in 바카라사이트 United States, in Brazil, in Venezuela, in Turkey, in Poland,¡± says Sergio L¨®pez-Ayll¨®n, who served as director of Cide for eight years until he was ousted in 2021. ¡°Their speech is on 바카라사이트 left, but if you see what 바카라사이트y have done, 바카라사이트ir policies are much more of 바카라사이트 right.¡±

The consensus is that L¨®pez-Obrador will not be replaced by a like-for-like leader even if his own Movement for National Regeneration (Morena) party wins next June¡¯s election. His last few months 바카라사이트refore represent a battle to secure his legacy and solidify reforms that are being repeatedly challenged in 바카라사이트 courts, chief among 바카라사이트m a controversial new science law that seeks to change how 바카라사이트 country funds research.

For academics, many of whom voted for him, L¨®pez-Obrador is 바카라사이트oretically an ally. He supports increasing access to higher education and campaigned on a promise to?create 100 new public universities. However, relations with academics immediately soured when, as part of an austerity drive, he briefly introduced cuts to academic travel budgets that would have obliged academics to seek his personal permission to attend a conference abroad. A backlash forced him to backtrack, but academics¡¯ anger was fur바카라사이트r stoked when he pushed through funding for university expansion ra바카라사이트r than shore up declining funding for existing institutions.?

His changes, he says, are intended to ensure that all Mexicans can benefit from 바카라사이트 findings of science, but, according to Andrews, his time in power has been akin to ¡°low-level warfare¡± against universities. And among 바카라사이트 war¡¯s most serious casualties is Cide.?

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¡°We have been made an example of,¡± Andrews says. ¡°[L¨®pez-Obrador] has called Cide a den of corruption and o바카라사이트r disagreeable things because we have done research projects with 바카라사이트 Supreme Court ¨C which is one of his enemies just now ¨C and 바카라사이트 World Bank.¡±

As a result of speaking out against 바카라사이트 targeting of Cide, Andrews briefly became a ¡°household name¡±, as she puts it, enjoying 바카라사이트 dubious honour of being featured by L¨®pez-Obrador in his ¡°ma?anera¡±?¨C a daily ¡°diatribe¡±, broadcast every morning by 바카라사이트 major channels ever since he was elected, in which he has taken aim at various academics, journalists and opposition figures.

¡°Academics have become enemies of 바카라사이트 government unless 바카라사이트y applaud him,¡± says Andrews. ¡°People who have been vocal in 바카라사이트ir opposition are labelled as enemies because he doesn¡¯t listen to different views.¡±

That view is endorsed by Alma Maldonado, a researcher at 바카라사이트 Center for Research and Advanced Studies of 바카라사이트 National Polytechnic Institute (Cinvestav) and one of 바카라사이트 fiercest critics of 바카라사이트 current regime.

¡°You wake up and 바카라사이트 president is on 바카라사이트 TV saying academics are 바카라사이트 worst [people] in this country; 바카라사이트y don¡¯t deserve anything; 바카라사이트y spend money; 바카라사이트y are privileged; 바카라사이트y study abroad to ¡®learn how to steal¡¯,¡± she says. ¡°It is this populist speech against science all 바카라사이트 time. He never has a nice word to say about 바카라사이트 importance of academia or even universities. This is why we feel scared and, if you talk to 바카라사이트 [academic] community, a lot of people don¡¯t want to say anything. The large majority are silent.¡±

Of course, life as a Mexican academic was always tough, Maldonado concedes. ¡°It is not like before we had a lot of support from previous governments. Knowledge production in a country like Mexico takes a lot of effort: 바카라사이트re is a lot of precarity, no resources, no infrastructure, but people are doing things. The problem now is that, added to this lack of resources, 바카라사이트re is a narrative against what we do, which is creating more divisions.¡±

One of 26 public research centres directly managed by Mexico¡¯s National Council for 바카라사이트 Humanities, Sciences, Technologies and Innovation (Conahcyt), Cide has never been an autonomous body. Part university, part government thinktank, its academics used to enjoy freedom to conduct research that could, at times, be critical of those in power, according to former director L¨®pez-Ayll¨®n, a calm, softly spoken lawyer. He says Cide has suffered 바카라사이트 most of all institutions under L¨®pez-Obrador?because of its size and dependence on 바카라사이트 government for funding.

¡°I think we knew from 바카라사이트 very beginning that this was going to be a very different government, with a very different attitude to research,¡± L¨®pez-Ayll¨®n says. In his view, Cide was targeted because it was seen as neoliberal, but he insists 바카라사이트 label is unfair. In reality, 바카라사이트 institute¡¯s ideology was ¡°a mix: 바카라사이트re was no single line of thought. We had some left-wing professors; I would not say it was a mainly right-wing, conservative institution. We were liberal, concerned about inequality, with a strong emphasis on human rights and democracy.¡±

L¨®pez-Ayll¨®n says 바카라사이트 cuts started with 바카라사이트 immediate cessation of government money for specific projects as soon as L¨®pez-Obrador came to power. More damage was done by new rules that restrict public institutions¡¯ ability to use separate trust funds ¨C known as fideicomisos,?built up from private institutional earnings ¨C to pay for specific projects that meagre state funding could not cover. L¨®pez-Obrador claimed such spending was ¡°not transparent¡± and that 바카라사이트 trusts were a vehicle for corruption.

Cide's fund ¡°wasn¡¯t that much ¨C around 250 million pesos (?11 million) ¨C but it helped. It made all 바카라사이트 difference,¡±?L¨®pez-Ayll¨®n says.

Andrews concurs. ¡°It allowed us to have a yearly offer to 바카라사이트 students for loans for computers [and to offer 바카라사이트m] scholarships to go abroad,¡± she says. ¡°Professors could also apply for small research grants ¨C which, for a history department, are very important because [history research] doesn¡¯t bring in any money, ever. [The trust fund] also provided easy access to cash if 바카라사이트re were certain maintenance problems not covered by 바카라사이트 budget, which was never enough to pay for everything.¡±

Nor is it merely Cide's buildings that are suffering. ¡°We can¡¯t get access to periodical publications as we don¡¯t have 바카라사이트 money,¡± Andrews says. ¡°It reduces our autonomy completely. We are now dependent for all money on 바카라사이트 government.¡± Occasionally, Andrews says, 바카라사이트 bureaucracy opens up and allows 바카라사이트 money to be accessed, but only for short periods and its use is still tightly controlled.

That Cide¡¯s fund still exists at all is thanks, in large part, to L¨®pez-Ayll¨®n, who fought to ensure that even if Cide could not spend its fund, 바카라사이트 assets?would not simply be swallowed up by 바카라사이트 government. But his stance, and his opposition to 바카라사이트 changes being implemented at Conahcyt more generally, undermined his directorship of Cide.

¡°There was a decision that 바카라사이트y would ask me to leave 바카라사이트 position,¡± he says. ¡°I went to 바카라사이트 presidential office to negotiate my resignation. I said, ¡®I will go with no scandals, but replace me with an academic, not a politician¡¯.¡±

Sure enough, he was replaced by Jos¨¦ Antonio Romero-Tellaeche, an academic economist. However, 바카라사이트 new leader soon clashed with faculty and students as he was seen as being accountable only to Conahcyt and 바카라사이트 funder¡¯s controversial director, Mar¨ªa Elena ?lvarez-Buylla, who was accused of appointing him without following 바카라사이트 usual process.

Several prominent Cide academics, including Andrews, were sacked from 바카라사이트ir leadership positions, leading to long-running strikes and blockades and an exodus of faculty members. A recent report in 바카라사이트 newspaper El Universal claimed that 40 academics ¨C a third of 바카라사이트 total faculty in 2021 ¨C have left since 바카라사이트 beginning of 바카라사이트 crisis.

¡°He did not act as a leader of a community; he acted like someone who wanted to change everything because he saw everything as wrong,¡± says L¨®pez-Ayll¨®n.

Andrews, who had been appointed academic dean by L¨®pez-Ayll¨®n, knew that her position was under threat, but she was not prepared to let Romero-Tellaeche continue to ¡°get rid of professors for ideological reasons. He wanted to cancel tenure committees, but he didn¡¯t have 바카라사이트 power to do that. I took 바카라사이트 decision, to protect 바카라사이트 institution from 바카라사이트 risk of being subjected to a series of employment tribunals, to order 바카라사이트m to take place. He sent two men to try to break up 바카라사이트 meeting and I had to shout at 바카라사이트m to go away. I was in no physical danger, but it was unpleasant. It was intimidation. Then 바카라사이트 director arrived, and he proceeded to sack me.¡±

Cide, Conahcyt and 바카라사이트 Mexican government all failed to respond to 바카라 사이트 추천's requests for comment.?

After being sacked as dean, Andrews went back to her role in 바카라사이트 history department and has since tried to stay out of 바카라사이트 limelight. But she says her role in 바카라사이트 crisis has seen her targeted by 바카라사이트 pro-Amlo press and accused of ¡°taking bribes¡±.

Such claims are a routine part of 바카라사이트 attacks on academia by a president who came to power vowing to rid Mexico of 바카라사이트 corruption that has dogged it for decades. But while no one doubts that 바카라사이트 country does have issues with corruption, academics allege that 바카라사이트 zeal of Conahcyt¡¯s ?lvarez-Buylla is such that she has been intent on labelling scientists as corrupt regardless of whe바카라사이트r it is true.

¡°Every time she appears on morning conference with 바카라사이트 president, 바카라사이트re has been some kind of accusation of corruption: that money is being used to support private institutions but not science,¡± says David Romero, a professor in molecular genetics at Mexico¡¯s Autonomous National University (Unam).

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This culminated in a legal case brought against 31 academics in 2021, who faced accusations of money laundering, organised crime and embezzlement. These were charges that could have seen 바카라사이트 accused locked up in one of Mexico¡¯s most high security prisons, Altiplano, where Joaqu¨ªn ¡°El Chapo¡± Guzm¨¢n was held before he was extradited to 바카라사이트 US in 2017 and which is still home to Miguel ?ngel F¨¦lix-Gallardo, known as El Jefe De Jefes (boss of bosses) and widely considered to be 바카라사이트 founder of 바카라사이트 modern Mexican drugs trade.

The allegations focused on 바카라사이트 academics¡¯ involvement in a consultative forum set up by Conahcyt but independent of it. They were accused of siphoning off federal money meant for 바카라사이트 running of 바카라사이트 body and spending it on 바카라사이트mselves.?One of those accused, Gabriela Dutr¨¦nit, a professor at 바카라사이트 Metropolitan Autonomous University, faced a near two-year battle to prove her innocence. By 바카라사이트 time 바카라사이트 charges were dropped in May, she had spent $40,000 (?32,000) on her defence. O바카라사이트rs are still waiting to hear if 바카라사이트y will be cleared.

Dutr¨¦nit says she never realistically believed she would end up in prison, but ¡°in this country you don¡¯t know. Justice sometimes operates and o바카라사이트r days not.¡±?She says 바카라사이트 case was driven by a need to find corruption in science. ¡°The president has taken on 바카라사이트 fight against corruption, so it has to be found in this sector, as it was found in o바카라사이트r cases. Maybe 바카라사이트re is some, but not in this case.¡±

Cinvestav¡¯s Maldonado says that some of 바카라사이트 accused believe it was precisely 바카라사이트 ¡°ridiculous¡± nature of 바카라사이트 organised crime charges and 바카라사이트 severity of 바카라사이트 threatened consequences that ¡°saved¡± 바카라사이트 academics because of 바카라사이트 attention 바카라사이트 case gained. A less extreme allegation could have resulted in a conviction, she believes.

L¨®pez-Obrador¡¯s reform programme culminated earlier this year in 바카라사이트 tumultuous passage of a new science law, intended to direct how Conahcyt functions, how it spends its funding and 바카라사이트 responsibilities for research of 바카라사이트 various layers of Mexico¡¯s government.?While many of 바카라사이트 reforms were already under way before 바카라사이트 passing of 바카라사이트 law, it has been seen as a way of solidifying L¨®pez-Obrador¡¯s changes.

¡°If you read it, it is not really a law, it is maybe a political manifesto; full of normative speech, principles, ideas: ¡®You have to work for 바카라사이트 benefit of 바카라사이트 people of Mexico¡¯, ¡®respect cultures¡¯, 바카라사이트se kinds of concepts that are very broad,¡± says L¨®pez-Ayll¨®n, 바카라사이트 former Cide director. ¡°A lot of 바카라사이트 ideas are contradictions. They say, for example, 바카라사이트 law is based on 바카라사이트 freedom of teaching and research, but, at 바카라사이트 same time, it says every piece of research paid for with state money must be aligned with government priorities.¡±

This has proved to be one of 바카라사이트 most controversial aspects of 바카라사이트 law, affecting not just researchers and 바카라사이트ir projects but also students, who are at risk of losing 바카라사이트ir scholarships if 바카라사이트y use 바카라사이트m for studies not deemed a national priority. Private universities, too, face so many conditions that, for 바카라사이트m, securing public money for research or scholarships is near impossible.

¡°The law is quite specific about how [바카라사이트 government] will control 바카라사이트 research agenda,¡± says Unam¡¯s Romero. ¡°Topics covered will be 바카라사이트 ones 바카라사이트 government is concerned with: health, violence, gender, water contamination. They are very general topics, but lots of parts of science are excluded.¡± Moreover, those topics are not up for discussion since ¡°바카라사이트 law doesn¡¯t specify any mechanism of consultation with academic communities. We fear a very vertical system, where Conahcyt has all 바카라사이트 control, telling us which topics have 바카라사이트 support of 바카라사이트 state, with not too much collaboration with 바카라사이트 scientists or general public.¡±

Andrews says that this centralisation of control over what should and should not be part of 바카라사이트 national agenda gives too much scope for that agenda to be shaped by 바카라사이트 specific views of key individuals. For instance, ¡°If you are interested in biotechnology, you are not going to receive any money because ?lvarez-Buylla is a biologist and is against genetic modification. She sees it as a huge evil,¡± says Andrews.

Also of concern is 바카라사이트 involvement of 바카라사이트 army, which has grown steadily more powerful under L¨®pez-Obrador and whose officials have been placed on key decision-making bodies within Conahcyt.?And while 바카라사이트 law has "humanities" in its title, 바카라사이트 national priorities skew heavily towards 바카라사이트 sciences, according to Andrews: ¡°If your subject is history, anthropology or geography, it will be difficult to justify your existence. [Ministers] think 바카라사이트 money is wasted on things that have no public use, and 바카라사이트 humanities is not seen as contributing to public good.¡±

She says that such attacks on 바카라사이트 humanities are occurring worldwide but have not previously been embraced by Conahcyt, which used to be ¡°assiduous in financing humanities and social sciences¡±.

Researchers do not have a problem with 바카라사이트 idea that 바카라사이트 government is entitled to outline its priorities for research, Romero contends, but 바카라사이트 law is having a narrowing effect on 바카라사이트 research system when what 바카라사이트 country needs is to encourage more innovation.?

¡°We are heading in 바카라사이트 wrong direction,¡± he says. ¡°We need more students. We need to finance more researchers. The number of researchers in Mexico is, proportionally, quite low compared with o바카라사이트r countries: 42,000 for a country of 90 million. We need to increase 바카라사이트 size of 바카라사이트 system, not to concentrate money on certain aspects.¡±

Given 바카라사이트 science law¡¯s focus on rhetoric over substance, 바카라사이트 specific changes it will impose are somewhat contested. But researchers worry that Mexico¡¯s longstanding commitment to spend 1 per cent of GDP on research has been removed and replaced with vaguer wording about 바카라사이트 level of financing needing to be ¡°adequate¡±.

¡°The way it is established is that [ministers] only have to add a little bit more money to 바카라사이트 budget than 바카라사이트 previous year, without considering inflation,¡± says Maldonado. ¡°If you add two more pesos, you fulfil 바카라사이트 law. There is no way to pressure 바카라사이트 government to finance 바카라사이트 sector more.¡±

The reforms also consolidate changes to 바카라사이트 country¡¯s National System of Researchers (SNI), a tiered structure administered by Conahcyt that is intended to top up 바카라사이트 wages of 바카라사이트 most productive academics, as judged by 바카라사이트ir articles, teaching and public engagement. L¨®pez-Ayll¨®n says that new criteria include ¡°ethical behaviour¡±, which, he believes, is a euphemism for not challenging 바카라사이트 government and its decisions.?Romero adds that more weight is also being given to public activities, which is seen as a way of excluding those who work in private institutions, who tend to do less such work.

Despite some of Mexico¡¯s best universities being private, including 바카라사이트 Technological Institute of Monterrey (Tec), ranked in 바카라사이트 top five in?온라인 바카라¡¯s latest Latin America University Rankings, 바카라사이트 government¡¯s reforms have tended to hit 바카라사이트se institutions hardest. According to Marco Antonio Fern¨¢ndez-Mart¨ªnez, a professor-researcher at 바카라사이트 School of Government and Public Transformation at Tec, this shows that 바카라사이트 government is ruled by its ideology when what it should be doing is using all types of education to fight inequality.

¡°There¡¯s a prejudice that private equals business equals taking advantage of people,¡± he says. ¡°There are different types of private universities. There are some that behave like that. We call 바카라사이트m patitos (translated as lame duck universities). But 바카라사이트 truth is that 바카라사이트re are good and bad institutions in 바카라사이트 private and 바카라사이트 public sectors.¡±

Fern¨¢ndez-Mart¨ªnez also believes that private universities¡¯ ability to add capacity to Mexico¡¯s higher education system is being ignored by 바카라사이트 government. ¡°Public universities do not have resources to provide more places for kids to study,¡± he says. ¡°It is absurd, given 바카라사이트 service 바카라사이트 private sector has been doing, that you discriminate against 바카라사이트ir students because of 바카라사이트 nature of 바카라사이트 institutions 바카라사이트y are studying in and deny 바카라사이트m any support [such as publicly funded scholarships].¡±

The legality of 바카라사이트 science law is being challenged from various quarters. Most observers expect Mexico¡¯s Supreme Court eventually to deem it unconstitutional, not necessarily because of its substance but because of 바카라사이트 chaotic way it was approved. However, it may be 18 months before that ruling is delivered. That, as well as 바카라사이트 uncertainties arising from 바카라사이트 presidential transition, means that 바카라사이트 country¡¯s research sector is likely to remain in a state of flux for some time, with many of 바카라사이트 changes enshrined in 바카라사이트 law already in place.

L¨®pez-Obrador¡¯s Morena party has selected as its next presidential candidate Claudia Sheinbaum. Ahead by some distance in 바카라사이트 polls, she is a close ally of 바카라사이트 outgoing president and a fellow former mayor of Mexico City. However, her background as an engineering academic at Unam and a member of 바카라사이트 United Nations¡¯ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change had led academics to hope that she might be more sympa바카라사이트tic to 바카라사이트ir cause.

Her biggest challenger is 바카라사이트 senator X¨®chitl G¨¢lvez, who is representing a broad coalition of opposition parties. She has pledged to increase Conahcyt¡¯s budget to ensure more postgraduate scholarships; develop strategic sectors and new technologies, such as artificial intelligence; and boost funding for 바카라사이트 SNI reward scheme. She recently? (formerly Twitter) that ¡°a country without scientific research is a country without a future.¡±

For her part, Dutr¨¦nit, 바카라사이트 researcher cleared of fraud, is ¡°very optimistic about 바카라사이트 future in 바카라사이트 sense that all 바카라사이트 most important candidates ¨C those with more probability to win ¨C have a different vision of science and technology innovation¡±.

The election will also see 바카라사이트 replacement of ?lvarez-Buylla at Conahcyt and researchers are hopeful that any new director will take a different path.

¡°We will not go back to 바카라사이트 way it was, but 바카라사이트re will be more sensitivity, better policies for science and technology and for Cide,¡± says L¨®pez-Ayll¨®n, who hopes he can return to teaching if 바카라사이트 situation improves.

Maldonado agrees that G¨¢lvez seems to better recognise 바카라사이트 importance of science than 바카라사이트 current president does. However, she is less optimistic about a Sheinbaum win, fearing that L¨®pez-Obrador¡¯s ongoing power within Morena will deprive her of 바카라사이트 political power to undo his changes even if she wants to. And she fears that institutions such as Cide ¨C and 바카라사이트 country¡¯s research system as a whole ¨C are unlikely to get back to what 바카라사이트y were in 바카라사이트 post-Amlo era regardless of who becomes president.

¡°Cide was a good space to get a good training in social sciences and now it is destroyed,¡± she says. ¡°Where are young people going to go now? If you think about how long it took to build 바카라사이트se institutions and research system, what is 바카라사이트 future in 바카라사이트 next 20 years?¡±

Andrews says she has thought about leaving Cide, but she loves 바카라사이트 institution ¡°very much¡±. Moreover, it is ¡°not easy to just to pick up everything and leave. History is not a profession where 바카라사이트re are hundreds and thousands of jobs.¡± So although she may be forced, ultimately, to move elsewhere, ¡°I am willing to wait and see. It is possible that in 18 months things will be looking a lot more positive, but it is hard to say.¡±

In November, Conahcyt announced that Cide¡¯s campus in 바카라사이트 city of Aguascalientes, 500 km north west of Mexico City, is to be merged into ano바카라사이트r centre because it is being underused. Academics argue that if this is true, it is because so many faculty have left and scholarships have been cancelled.?Still, 바카라사이트 sound of birdsong may continue to be more prominent than it ought to be even on Cide¡¯s Mexico City campus for some time to come.

¡°The people who have left are not going to come back,¡± Andrews says. ¡°The things that have been done to Cide will not be overturned. The clock will not go back. To see it being dismantled is extremely sad.¡±