Education, Science and Technology in Mexico: Challenges for Innovation

Abstract

The innovation process is founded on a high-quality education system at all levels, which trains scientists and technologists capable of generating innovations. Education is the most decisive factor in human development, yet in Mexico current statistics reveal a critical situation at every educational level, as only 1 out of every 10 children entering elementary school obtains a university degree, and less than 0.01% of the population holds a doctoral degree. In addition, international tests such as the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) reflect the low educational performance of Mexican students in several subject areas. The deficiencies found in the national education system negatively impact innovation indicators. Although there have been major initiatives to reverse underperformance in education, science, technology and innovation (STI), the country has actually seen its global competitiveness ranking fall from 55th in 2013 to 57th in 2015, and structural reforms in education, science and technology proposed since 2012 have still not been successfully implemented. This paper analyses the current status of the education and STI systems in Mexico and sets out some strategies to improve public policies to profit from the great competitive advantages that Mexico has as an emerging economy, with about 52 million economically active people and great untapped potential if innovations policies are implemented successfully.

Potential of Cold-Water Agriculture (ColdAg) in Mexico: Challenges and Opportunities for Sustainable Food Production

“…In global terms, the technological development of aquaculture is very advanced to avoid or reduce impacts that contribute to the degradation of ecosystems. However, technology transfer to countries such as Mexico faces challenges that hinder implementation; for example, there is a lack of capabilities (professionalization of the activity) and financial investment, and limited access for most producers to cutting-edge technology due to costs or technical capabilities [24]. Food production through aquaculture can exacerbate the effects of climate change in the country by fostering the degradation of habitats, the modification of coastlines, changes in land use, wastewater discharges, the use of fossil fuels, and conflicts among users competing for space and Both agriculture and aquaculture exert strong pressure on water and soil resources and may result in negative environmental impacts if not properly managed.…”

“…Given the great heterogeneity in the human development indices of Mexico, it is necessary to design and implement public policies in accordance with the development contexts of each region of the country [24]. Studies on poverty and food security carried out within the country [25][26][27] are based on a partial and fragmented analysis in relation to the right to food security due to the concealment of information that hampers our ability to have a broad understanding of the problem, a precise vision of the issues of both physical and economic accessibility to food, and a well-grounded analysis of its availability and sustainability [18,[28][29][30].…”