Cultural Diversity and Intercultural Higher Education: The Case of the Autonomous Indigenous University of Mexico

Abstract

Cultural diversity in Mexican higher education represents both a challenge and an opportunity to build inclusive, equitable, and culturally relevant academic environments. This study analyzes the case of the Autonomous Indigenous University of Mexico (UAIM) within the context of Mexico's Intercultural Universities Subsystem, using a qualitative approach and employing intercultural action research, interpretive ethnography, and participant observation. Twenty-three years after its founding, UAIM has 8,725 students, significantly exceeding the national average for the intercultural subsystem, which is 2,000–3,000 students. Its student body exhibits broad ethnic and linguistic representation in each academic unit, comprised of: the Los Mochis unit with 48 ethnic groups and 9 languages; the Mochicahui unit with 32 ethnic groups and 18 languages; and the Virtual unit with 29 ethnic groups and 11 languages. The Choix campus, with its 16 ethnic groups and 4 languages, presents an atypical profile due to its high proportion of non-formal education modalities (84% compared to the national average of 26.5%). It also offers 11 postgraduate programs, including master's and doctoral degrees, with 189 students. The Autonomous Indigenous University of Mexico (UAIM) has a faculty of 297, only 2% of whom are recognized as community elders. The results show that, while UAIM strengthens human capital development in culturally complex contexts, challenges persist in student integration due to linguistic barriers, academic differences, and the absence of systematic inclusion programs, as demonstrated by the limited effectiveness of the "Language Nests." The contrast with international experiences suggests that cultural diversity reaches its transformative potential only through deliberate institutional policies, comprehensive support programs, and strategies that foster intercultural dialogue. It is concluded that the effective management of diversity requires going beyond mere coexistence, promoting active and equitable participation that allows Mexican universities to train global, critical and socially committed citizens.