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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 ¨C which was also attended by federal, provincial, municipal and indigenous representatives and students ¨C 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