International cooperation and higher indigenous education in Latin America: creation of a field of action

Abstract

The presence of international organizations and agencies for international or bilateral cooperation, foundations and foreign universities in the field of indigenous education in Latin America has increased over the last decade: due to their strong presence in this particular niche of public policies for higher education, these organisms have participated in the growing number of higher education programs and institutions exclusively or strategically intended for indigenous students. They have sponsored the institutionalization of service mechanisms for these population groups and have generated innovative management, pedagogical services and research capacities. Given the scarcity of organized information on their role, impact and alliances and agreements with national converging organism we will try to characterize in broad strokes the current situation, based on examples of programs and institutions that resorted to international cooperation to design innovative proposals to serve a socially vulnerable and culturally diverse population. We will analyze their main characteristics and areas of impact. We will reflect on how these types of initiatives are perceived and evaluated in research about ethnically based higher education and its purpose in terms of inclusion, equity and respect of diversity.