AMLO delivers to deputies a proposal to create a law on humanities, sciences, technology and innovation

Georgina Saldierna and Enrique Mendez

Newspaper La Jornada
Wednesday December 14, 2022, p. 18

President Andrés Manuel López Obrador sent last night to the Chamber of Deputies the initiative for a new general law on the humanities, sciences, technology and innovation that, he stated, proposes to vindicate the role of researchovercome the stage of transfer of funds to private companies and introduce the human right to science.

The proposal proposes to modify the entire scholarship award scheme of the National Council of Science and Technology, which in turn would become a national council of humanities, sciences, technologies and innovation, as a decentralized body of the Mexican State that will articulate the public policies of the sector, and its owner will be appointed by the President.

The initiative details that the granting of scholarships to postgraduate, master’s or doctoral students in sciences and humanities, as well as postgraduates for the training of professionals in strategic or priority areas, will be guaranteed according to budget availability.

He pointed out that from 2001 to 2018, the research agreements with the private initiative allowed the transfer to national and transnational companies of more than 45 billion pesos, 42 percent of the total allocated to that item, an amount that was delivered under the assumption of promoting scientific research, technological development and innovation.

It also defines that public policy on science and technology should safeguard the development of humanistic and scientific research, technological development, and innovation in the strategic and priority areas of the Mexican State.

It includes formulating a national agenda on the matter, which seeks to address and address the needs, problems, and challenges of society through community, regional, and national participation, as well as from universities, higher education institutions, and research centers.

Each state and municipal government will have to prepare their respective programs and foresees that the efforts of the scientific sector focus on strengthening national sovereignty, based on the consolidation of the country’s scientific and technological independence.

The initiative includes the integration of a national system of humanities, sciences, technologies and innovation, and considers the diversification of mechanisms and public instruments for the promotion and support of activities in the matter, and confirms that public resources for the support and promotion are delivered without intermediaries to scholarship holders.

It seeks to force the new national humanities council to implement a national postgraduate system that facilitates and promotes the creation and consolidation of programs for this sector.