Higher education in the face of political regime change in Mexico: Ruptures, continuities, and challenges (2012-2024)

Abstract

This article analyzes changes in the Mexican higher education system resulting from the implementation of educational policies established in the last decade. The theoretical approach revisits conceptual elements of policy change, specifically from the perspective of the political regime. Through documentary research, changes in regulatory frameworks, implemented programs, and institutional reconfigurations are identified at three key moments: the end of Enrique Peña Nieto's six-year term, the administration of Andrés Manuel López Obrador, and the initial actions of the current administration of Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo. The results show the regulatory changes and public policy programs linked to higher education, as well as the budgetary restrictions and tensions between political promises and the operational capacities of HEIs during the six-year terms analyzed. The analysis of policy change, centered on the changes in political regimes, allows us to understand the transformation in higher education as a product of political and governance conditions. This approach highlights the link between regulatory changes and social, economic, and cultural factors, facilitating the identification of gaps and continuities in public policies.