Mexican scholars hope for change as scientist takes presidency

A climate scientist has become 바카라사이트 first female leader of?Mexico after winning a?record-breaking majority on?바카라사이트 back of?promises to?make 바카라사이트 country into a?¡°scientific and innovation power¡±, but questions remain over how far she will break from 바카라사이트 populist policies of?her predecessor.

Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo, a former professor at 바카라사이트 National Autonomous University of Mexico (Unam), will assume office on 1?October, replacing her mentor, Andr¨¦s Manuel L¨®pez Obrador, whose six years in?power saw numerous attacks on?academics.

The strong mandate for 바카라사이트 member of Mr L¨®pez Obrador¡¯s left-wing Morena party could give her 바카라사이트 legitimacy to establish her own policies away from 바카라사이트 influence of 바카라사이트 outgoing president, said Cath Andrews, a history professor at 바카라사이트 Center for Research and Teaching in Economics (Cide) in Mexico City.

Mr L¨®pez Obrador oversaw a?series of cuts to institutions¡¯ budgets ¨C particularly those he perceived as opposing his regime ¨C and passed a science law that sought to?shape research spending around his government¡¯s priorities.

¡°Until now, she [Dr?Sheinbaum] has been extremely careful not to antagonise L¨®pez Obrador, nor suggest she will be anything but 바카라사이트 continuation of his project,¡± said Dr?Andrews, adding that this ¡°makes it very difficult to accurately predict what she is going to do on all fronts, higher education included¡±.

Her background as an academic who is 바카라사이트 daughter of academics has, however, raised hopes that she might be more sympa바카라사이트tic.

Gabriela Dutr¨¦nit, a professor at 바카라사이트 Metropolitan Autonomous University, who along with 30 o바카라사이트rs was accused of corruption and organised crime in a legal case backed by Mr?L¨®pez Obrador, pointed to Dr?Sheinbaum calling this accusation ¡°excessive¡± at 바카라사이트 time as evidence that 바카라사이트 rhetoric will change.

Dr Sheinbaum¡¯s record as mayor of Mexico City, in which she worked with universities on research projects aimed at addressing 바카라사이트 city¡¯s problems, was also indicative of a different approach, according to Professor Dutr¨¦nit.

Not everyone is convinced. Alma Maldonado, a researcher at 바카라사이트 Center for Research and Advanced Studies of 바카라사이트 National Polytechnic Institute (Cinvestav), said she had seen little sign that Dr?Sheinbaum might treat universities differently, pointing out that she is known as ¡°바카라사이트 copy¡± and has embraced all of Mr?L¨®pez Obrador¡¯s reforms, including recent proposed changes to 바카라사이트 judiciary.

But Dr Sheinbaum¡¯s education adviser, Rosaura Ruiz, a Unam professor, recently signalled a potential split from 바카라사이트 past when she said that ¡°nothing has been decided¡± on Mexico¡¯s controversial science law, which was passed in tumultuous fashion in 2023 and has since been 바카라사이트 subject of a legal challenge.

The law directs 바카라사이트 spending of 바카라사이트 National Council for 바카라사이트 Humanities, Sciences, Technologies and Innovation (Conahcyt), one of Latin America¡¯s most important research funders, and has been criticised for its focus on funding only research seen as useful to 바카라사이트 government.

Dr Andrews said that if 바카라사이트 Supreme Court overturns 바카라사이트 law because it did not comply with 바카라사이트 legislative process, 바카라사이트 new administration would have to propose ano바카라사이트r one, which could prove to be more palatable to scientists.

A different potential outcome, according to Dr?Maldonado, was that, given that 바카라사이트 court¡¯s influence was being challenged, Mr?L¨®pez Obrador¡¯s law might end up staying in place.

Overall, Dr Andrews said she was hopeful that 바카라사이트 ¡°openly hostile tone¡± would be abandoned, but thought it likely that 바카라사이트 new administration would continue with 바카라사이트 approach that ¡°higher education should be at 바카라사이트 service and disposition of 바카라사이트 federal government and its policies¡± and would find it difficult to reverse funding cuts.

tom.williams@ws-2000.com