NAFTA AND THE FUTURE OF MEXICAN HIGHER-EDUCATION

Mexican higher education faces profound changes in the next decade. Th e North American Free Trade agreement (NAFTA) has made Mexican academi cs mindful of the fact that U.S. universities in the new economic clim ate should bet regarded as more than teaching institutions-they are a global economic resource that has and will have a profound influence o n people who will never visit their campuses. The question of how Mexi can researchers and academics are going to come to terms with the situ ation becomes pressing as NAFTA lowers the protective barriers. The il lusion of being an equal partner or of being able to compete in many s ectors is dangerous, particularly in the university sector.