University-community interaction in sustainable development projects: the case study of the Universidad Intercultural del Estado de México

Abstract

A crucial element in the Universidad Intercultural del Estado de México is the importance given to the development of the communities: the university leaves aside the abstract discourse of the promotion of economic development through the professionalization of citizenship and it concentrates on the application of the knowledge acquired in classes for the benefit of the communities. From the beginning, the students are required to have permanence in the communities. The result is an avalanche of all kinds of works on indigenous histories and cosmovision, productive practices, health or aesthetic experiences. The present work reports on the experience of collaboration between the native communities and the Universidad Intercultural del Estado de México through two specific agencies: the Agencia de Desarrollo Sustentable and the Incubadora Social para el Fomento de Industrias Culturales.