How global HE collaboration can benefit local communities
Latin America — and its leading universities — are at a turning point, one that could (and should) usher in a new era of international collaboration in ways that benefit local communities by identifying challenges and delivering solutions.
Higher education leaders have an obligation to serve a leadership role as drivers of economic and social progress in their regions and we are increasingly seeing universities in Mexico and across Latin America take this commitment seriously.
In Northwestern Mexico, specifically in Baja California, we have seen these solutions come to life through economic development, new opportunities for international collaboration and expanded access to higher education.
Economic development
Universities are increasingly playing a central role as hubs for (and drivers of) economic development. This is slowly becoming a reality across Latin America, but it is certainly true in the Mexican border region of Baja California, where CETYS University continues to serve as a critical component of regional growth.
As partners to local and multinational industry, universities like CETYS provide talent and intellectual capital that is foundational for such long-term growth.
At its core, this means creating nimble curricula that respond to current and future economic needs, while also providing a leadership role in technology development and transfer.
Consider that alumni from CETYS make up nearly 40% of industry leaders in Baja California.
Real-world implications
In addition to immediate and near term economic development implications, universities also play a key role in responding to long-term challenges with real-world implications for society and individuals.
At the University of California, Los Angeles, their Grand Challenges programme is focused on a multi-faceted approach to create a more environmentally sustainable Los Angeles, while also tackling depression in LA through a systematic public health lens.
Meanwhile, Indiana University is focused on equipping the state to become more resilient in the face of climate change, while also confronting the perils of drug and opioid addiction.
In Baja California, our centres of excellence play a similar role in that they bring industry, government and academic leaders together to develop real-world solutions to regional problems. This includes from fast-tracked specialised graduate programmes developed in partnership with industry to research efforts related to autonomous vehicles or new ways to measure mental fatigue.
Of course, embedding problem-solving into university culture calls us to enlist external advisors and experts to provide counsel that can channel university initiatives.
The impact of cross-border collaboration
Such future-focused initiatives are particularly critical amid ongoing political tensions regarding the US-Mexico border. By prioritising opportunities for international collaboration, we can reinforce the sense of unity and partnership that has historically been a hallmark of higher education.
Programmatically, new alliances can create ‘win-win’ scenarios that help foster innovation and development.
At their core, higher education institutions are uniquely suited to be hubs for engagement with global experts in academe and in industry. But fulfilling this mission demands that we embed its focus into our planning efforts.
Access to education
Finally, as incubators of regional development, universities must understand that they exist to empower individuals in their communities by creating a more equitable path to higher education. The very individuals that universities support are the changemakers of our respective regions.
For CETYS, that means that more than 80% of our students receive scholarships, with nearly 65% of students coming from low- or moderate-income families. And if we are to continue fulfilling our mission, such a commitment to access must not only remain a pillar of our strategic focus, but it must evolve — aided by insights and counsel from our international partners.
We know that an emphasis on equity has clear implications for how we cultivate inclusion and diversity and fulfil one of the most universal of all educational goals: fostering civically engaged communities that are also economically prosperous.
Dr. Fernando León García is President of CETYS University.
*This op-ed originally appeared in University World News on May 25, 2019, where you can read it in full.*
