Mexico and Canada share expertise on widening access

Representatives of eight Mexican universities and 11 of their Canadian counterparts have met to explore ways to improve indigenous higher education and build research partnerships.

The sixth Canada-Mexico Roundtable on Intercultural/Indigenous Higher Education took place at Lakehead University in Thunder Bay, Ontario at the end of June.

Federal and state governments in Mexico have established a number of regional universities, called “intercultural universities”, specifically to increase post-secondary access for indigenous peoples, while Canadian institutions have long worked on programmes to improve access and outreach.

The round table – which was also attended by federal, provincial, municipal and indigenous representatives and students – included visits to indigenous Canadian communities.

As well as “developing strategies to foster indigenous students’ entrepreneurial skills and opportunities across borders,” said Lakehead’s president and vice-chancellor Brian Stevenson, the round table was designed to “open doors for research and other partnerships”. The results were formalised in a consortium agreement touching on access, mobility, joint research and programming of courses for indigenous communities.

matthew.reisz@timeshighereducation.com