NAFTA and the Future of Mexican Higher Education

Abstract

Mexican higher education faces profound changes in the next decade. The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) has made Mexican academics mindful of the fact that U.S. universities in the new economic climate should be regarded as more than teaching institutions—they are a global economic resource that has and will have a profound influence on people who will never visit their campuses. The question of how Mexican researchers and academics are going to come to terms with the situation becomes pressing as NAFTA lowers the protective barriers. The illusion of being an equal partner or of being able to compete in many sectors is dangerous, particularly in the university sector.