Policies for the sustainability of higher education institutions in Mexico: between debate and action

Abstract

In the 1980s, a number of theoretical proposals sought to redefine the role of higher education institutions (hei) through a new focus on sustainability; these include The Bogota Letter on the University and the Environment in Latin America (1985) or The Declaration of Talloires (1990). In response, the Mexican heis drafted proposals to incorporate sustainability into their main functions; in this article, we analyze the approaches of those policies. We identify a common discursive strategy that seeks to permeate university policies and debates. However, we also detect unfortunate convergences, as well as fractured objectives and strategies, which yield only a limited impact on the university itself.