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This article shows the results of a qualitative/documentary study on intercultural education carried out in the mountain region of Guerrero, Mexico. The paper analyzes in particular the Universidad Intercultural de los Pueblos del Sur, which has been able to develop a project in intercultural education and even expand it to five municipalities in the state of Guerrero. The university represents a space of informal education for indigenous youth, using an educational model oriented to the rural perspective and encouraging abilities in communities and families through technical assistance by transferring technology and specialized knowledge in agricultural activities. The paper concludes by making recommendations that orient intercultural educational practice, taking into account the evidence contributed by research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intercultural higher education in Mexico works toward the creation of new professional, cultural, and linguistically pertinent profiles that empower indigenous youth and their communities. This paper presents the empirical results of a research project that ethnographically accompanies young graduates from an intercultural Mexican university, Universidad Veracruzana Intercultural. The objective is to describe the way this institution develops knowledge/activities by opening up to other types of knowledge; an analysis is made of the characteristics of the university's recent graduates, and their academic and community knowledge is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the epistemological diversity and indigenous praxis present in intercultural education, through the case of Instituto Superior Intercultural Ayuuk (isia) in Jaltepec, Oaxaca, Mexico. The main objectives are to outline the range of conceptions of intercultural education, describe its key articulations, and explore the way that knowledge is conceived, constructed, and transmitted in this institute. Two arguments are stated: a) The lack of a predetermined meaning in intercultural higher education allows people from diverse backgrounds to become interested in and form part of this project, enabling new epistemological diversity; b) Although isia uses the praxis and social organization of the Ayuuk people, a more profound dialogue is still lacking among diverse types of knowledge and epistemological frameworks. Therefore, isia represents an important case for exploring the negotiation among diverse perspectives to construct a unique vision of intercultural higher education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we study the normative framework for equity in the policies of the Mexican state, especially policies directed to higher education. Th e empirical referent was a set of documents that regulate and orient actions on inclusion and equity for attaining social cohesion in Mexico, based on the idea that our nation is constituted by diverse peoples and indigenous inhabitants, handicapped people, "alternate" movements, and other groups, and therefore must be governed according to the characteristics of all citizens. Th is document forms part of a broader research project referred to as the "Inter-University Framework Program for Equity and Social Cohesion Policies in Higher Education", within the work of the Latin American Research Network in Educational Policy (RIAIPE). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within the tradition of studies on the use or influence of research, this paper presents work on the relation between research and policy, based on the evaluation of higher education. The results show that educational research in Mexico has influenced the political agenda, by including arguments and reorienting debate, and even by modifying initiatives and programs; contributing factors have been the type of research, as well as the assumption or expansion of academic roles into circles of political decision-making. The report also identifies traits of interaction between researchers and government employees, while contributing to the comprehension of the use of research by weighing some of the involved elements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]