Abstract

ABOITES AGUILAR, Hugo. Free Trade agreement and higher education: México, an antecedent for Latin America. Perfiles educativos [online]. 2007, vol.29, n.118, pp.25-53. ISSN 0185-2698.

In its first part, this paper presents three reasons why education is included in practically every free trade agreement, as it is in the case of NAFTA. It seeks to 1) eliminate obstacles to the free flow of investments and commerce of goods in an area that, specially in Latin America, has been reserved to the State's direct responsibility; 2) redefine education in such a way that it can be commercialized as a service by private local and international providers, and 3) facilitate the free flow of knowledge that is an essential part of today's large corporations. In a second part, the paper explains how national higher education systems are forced to introduce structures of evaluation. Finally in a third part, a brief summary of others important changes that occur in education in the context of this type of agreements: substantial modification of the legal framework; lack of growth of the proportion of resources to education; privatization and an erosion in the quality of higher education. Thus new paths for higher education in Latin America are necessary.

Keywords : Free Trade Agreement ; Higher education in Mexico ; Education as a service ; Cross border trade on services and knowledge ; Accreditation of schools or academic programs.

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