HIGHER EDUCATION: A PILLAR OF LASTING DEMOCRACY, SAYS LEONARDO LOMELÍ

UNAM President Leonardo Lomelí Vanegas led the Encuentro Nacional de Rectores Universia México (National Meeting of University Presidents, Universia Mexico), where he underscored the critical role of universities as catalysts and guiding forces in times of uncertainty and social unrest. He noted that they are key to reflection, organization, and societal transformation.

The event convened 114 presidents and representatives from higher education institutions across the country, along with Tania Rodríguez Mora, Undersecretary for Upper Secondary Education, Ricardo Villanueva Lomelí, Undersecretary for Higher Education, and Felipe García Ascencio, CEO of Santander Mexico. It served as a platform for meaningful dialogue on the challenges and opportunities facing higher education in Mexico amid rapid social and technological change.

Lomelí Vanegas emphasized that the meeting offered a key moment to reimagine the future of higher education and its links to upper secondary education. He called for cooperation, critical dialogue, and collective action in addressing the most pressing issues of our time.

“Let this meeting stand as a testament, through both evidence and ideas, to the essential role higher education plays in fostering a critical, inclusive, and enduring democracy,” he said.

Speaking at the Dr. Ignacio Chávez Seminar Center, Lomelí Vanegas also reaffirmed UNAM’s identity as a public, autonomous, and national institution committed to social transformation. He stressed that upholding this mission does not require yielding to external pressures or compromising the university’s principles. Rather, it means advancing with a clear sense of purpose while remaining true to its core values.