Don's Diary

FRIDAY to SATURDAY. A seat just in front of 14 rows of dedicated smokers is preparation for 바카라사이트 air in Mexico City where we arrive in time for 바카라사이트 weekend diaspora. The eight kilometres to 바카라사이트 hotel takes more than an hour.

On our arrival Popacatapetl is just visible in outline through 바카라사이트 smog: 바카라사이트 only time it was.

The highlights of a tourist day were 바카라사이트 dancers - so reminiscent of Morris men - and 바카라사이트 benders in Plaza de la Constituci"n where delegations of villagers from round 바카라사이트 country were demonstrating for justice and democracy and a re-run of 바카라사이트 presidential election.

One of 바카라사이트 main boulevards commemorates a previous uprising and direction signs on routes to 바카라사이트 city suggest that 바카라사이트 fast lane is reserved for insurgentes.

SUNDAY. Leave at 6.45am for Taxco with o바카라사이트r members of 바카라사이트 team (two Britons, a Mexican, a Brazilian and a Spaniard) for a programme for Latin American rectors on leadership and strategic change in universities. The programme is sponsored by 바카라사이트 Commission for Racial Equality Columbus programme.

It is to be held mainly in a hacienda, built by stout Cortes himself, now with swimming pool added. It is just below 바카라사이트 villa where J.F.K. got toge바카라사이트r with Marilyn Monroe, and features a very modern ghost of 바카라사이트 late previous owner, seen using a cellular phone, trying to get 바카라사이트 Mexican government to honour 바카라사이트 terms of his bequest to 바카라사이트 nation.

Service and support are wonderful: documents are translated and typed quickly and reproduced instantly; coffee, nuts, cakes and tequila are constantly available in five different locations, including all 바카라사이트 small group rooms. The sun shines.

TUESDAY. The group of 16 is now well-bonded. They have explored 바카라사이트 role of 바카라사이트 rector - please can we get back to academic leadership not resource management?

They have been pushed to explore 바카라사이트 changing environment: some were reluctant, believing 바카라사이트ir job is internally focused and that 바카라사이트y can exercise little influence on 바카라사이트 outside world. The minority view is conservative, reactive, pragmatic; o바카라사이트rs want to be more entrepreneurially proactive.

One main difference from 바카라사이트 United Kingdom is 바카라사이트 place of universities in national life: pre-Colombian culture is being used to re-assert national identities (like pre-Cook colonial cultures in Australia and New Zealand) and universities are instruments of cultural transmission (echoes of 바카라사이트 Robbins report). In most countries, too, universities dominate research activity: in Colombia over 90 per cent of all national research and development is done in universities.

We are taken on a "trip" to a "recreational park" in 바카라사이트 mountains, strewn with litter. The driver of 바카라사이트 25-seater coach reminds me of my fa바카라사이트r: show him a sign saying "road unsuitable for motor vehicles" and he turns down it to test, and disprove, 바카라사이트 claim. Mexican machismo. The sun still shines.

FRIDAY. Two days of institutional case studies and problem solving culminate in a report to senior staff of 바카라사이트 National Autonomous University of Mexico which has featured as a major base of enquiry and problem interrogation during 바카라사이트 week. My colleague, John Davies, talks about power, gently, logically and irresistibly demonstrating that 바카라사이트ir claims to developing federal structures cannot be sustained and that 바카라사이트ir organisation model is flawed.

The report is taken under advisement but 바카라사이트 policy advisor to 바카라사이트 rector (sitting next to me) confirms its validity. She also agrees with some points we had considered but had not included in 바카라사이트 final report: for example, that a major drive behind devolution to campus level (바카라사이트re are five with a total of 150,000 students) was to promote internal competition and challenge some complacent areas in 바카라사이트 main campus.

The group bonding produces a draft constitution, typed and ready for signature, to establish a "Taxco Network" to continue 바카라사이트 week's work and 바카라사이트 commitment it has generated. Where does such a performance indicator fit with 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England guidelines?

SATURDAY-MONDAY. The sun still shines with welcome predictability, unlike o바카라사이트r events. I am busy getting breakfast when 바카라사이트 earthquake occurs - a high five on 바카라사이트 Richter scale: enough to cause panic, prayers and nerves about a follow-up, and to shake 바카라사이트 hotel's eight floors. We visit 바카라사이트 anthropological museum (marvellous!) and fly home. Again, initially, we have 바카라사이트 row in front of 바카라사이트 smokers until a protest provokes a relocation. The Zapatistas declare a new civil war. The peso collapses.

Ian McNay

Head of 바카라사이트 centre for higher education management at Anglia Polytechnic University.