Abstract The preferred methodology of educational anthropologists is ethnography. It fosters and strives for encounter and collaboration. However, the challenges brought in by lockdowns led the scientific community to improvising new methodologies, so that their ongoing research work was not stopped. This article aims to share an ethnographic experience relevant for pandemic times. It is a collaborative research work carried out with six students from Universidad Veracruzana Intercultural (based on the state of Veracruz, Mexico). The resulting methodological innovation made the most of the technological resources available, the researchers’ experience, and the accounts of the students’ experiences. The main findings of that innovation relied on overcoming dichotomies, delving into the understanding of intercultural higher education phenomena, and promoting reflexiveness among participants.

Resumen La metodología predilecta de la antropología educativa es la etnografía. Con ella se busca y se propicia el encuentro y la colaboración. Sin embargo, los desafíos que trajo el confinamiento, estimularon a la comunidad científica a improvisar sus metodologías para no detener el curso de las investigaciones. El objetivo del presente artículo es compartir una experiencia de una etnografía pertinente en tiempos de pandemia. Se trata de una investigación colaborativa llevada a cabo con seis estudiantes de la Universidad Veracruzana Intercultural, ubicada en el estado de Veracruz, México. La innovación metodológica resultante aprovechó los recursos tecnológicos disponibles, así como la experiencia de los investigadores en la institución y la narración de las experiencias de las estudiantes. Los hallazgos principales de la innovación consistieron en la superación de dicotomías, en la complejización de la comprensión de los fenómenos de la educación superior intercultural y en la reflexividad propiciada en las participantes.

Resumo A metodologia predileta da antropologia educativa é a etnografia. Com ela procura-se e propicia-se o encontro e a colaboração. No entanto, os desafios que trouxe o confinamento incentivaram a comunidade científica para improvisar suas metodologias e não deter o curso das pesquisas. O objetivo do presente artigo é compartilhar uma experiência de uma etnografia pertinente em tempos de pandemia. Trata-se de uma investigação colaborativa desenvolvida com seis estudantes da Universidade Veracruzana Intercultural, localizada no estado de Veracruz, México. A inovação metodológica resultante aproveitou os recursos tecnológicos disponíveis, assim como a experiência dos pesquisadores na instituição e a narração das experiências das estudantes. Os resultados principais da inovação consistiram na superação de dicotomias, na complexificação da compreensão dos fenômenos da educação superior intercultural e na refletividade propiciada nas participantes.

ABSTRACT Purpose: To analyze the “footprints” Paulo Freire’s critical pedagogy has left in intercultural higher education. As empirical referents, two multilingual indigenous regions in Latin America were chosen, the Cauca region in Colombia and the state of Veracruz in Mexico. The cases of Universidad Autónoma Indígena Intercultural (UAIIN) in Colombia and Universidad Veracruzana Intercultural (UVI) in Mexico are analyzed and compared. Methodological design: Based on empirical data built through collaborative ethnographies and expanded through the analysis of founding documents of both institutions, the political-pedagogical concepts, and methods that the imprint which the Freirean proposal has left on the founders and protagonists of the institutions of higher education studied here, are analized and contrasted. Results: The emergence of an innovation triangle is identified and which is composed of (1) a community-rooted indigenous education (defined by their own actors as educación propia (self-education)), (2) the Freirean legacy, educación popular (popular education) and (3) bilingual and intercultural education promoted by academic and governmental actors. Research limitations: Our research is limited to two case studies. Findings: This triangulation of diverse, but entangled threats of alternative education illustrates how such bottom-up universities succeed in providing so-called “quality education” -in the sense of inclusive and equitable education, critical literacy and community empowerment opportunities, all of them considered part of the Sustainable Development Goal 4.

RESUMEN Objetivo: analizar las “huellas” que ha dejado la pedagogía crítica de Paulo Freire en la educación intercultural. Tomamos como referentes empíricos dos regiones indígenas plurilingües: el Departamento del Cauca en Colombia y el Estado de Veracruz en México. Nos preguntamos qué presencia tiene la pedagogía crítica de Paulo Freire entre los protagonistas que crean la Universidad Autónoma Indígena Intercultural (UAIIN) en el Cauca colombiano, por un lado, y la Universidad Veracruzana Intercultural (UVI) en la costa del Golfo de México, por el otro. Diseño metodológico: a partir de datos empíricos construidos mediante etnografías colaborativas y ampliados mediante el análisis de documentos fundacionales de ambas instituciones, se analizan y contrastan los conceptos y métodos político-pedagógicos que la impronta que la propuesta freiriana ha dejado en los fundadores y protagonistas de las instituciones de educación superior aquí estudiadas. Resultados: se identifica un triángulo de confluencias entre 1) una educación indígena de orientación comunitaria, que es entendida por sus actores como una educación propia, 2) el legado freiriano de la educación popular, conservado y transmitida antes que nada por movimientos sociales y 3) la educación bilingüe e intercultural promovida por la academia y por actores gubernamentales. Limitaciones de la investigación: nuestra investigación se limita a dos estudios de caso. Hallazgos: se esboza cómo modelos universitarios desarrollados “desde abajo” logran proporcionar una “educación de calidad” - en el sentido de una educación inclusiva y equitativa que promueve literacidades críticas y oportunidades de empoderamiento comunitaria, todos ellos elementos contenidos en el objetivo cuatro de los Objetivos de Desarrollo Sustentable.

RESUMO Apesar de um importante processo de expansão e crescimento, as instituições de ensino superior em todo o mundo ainda enfrentam a exclusão, a discriminação e a desigualdade no que diz respeito às comunidades e povos sub-representados e desfavorecidos, seus conhecimentos e suas línguas. Neste texto, apresentamos brevemente alternativas contemporâneas ao ensino superior regular, que – algumas dentro das universidades existentes, outras além das estruturas convencionais de ensino superior – estão trabalhando contra a corrente para resolver essas falhas. Ao apresentar os estudos de caso das universidades alternativas, interculturais, indígenas, descoloniais, cooperativas e/ou de movimentos sociais que compõem esta seção temática, identificamos tendências institucionais e organizacionais, questões temáticas e contribuições teóricas emergentes, com o objetivo de aprofundar a compreensão da orientação e do papel dessas instituições, seus impactos e os desafios enfrentados.

ABSTRACT Despite an important process of expansion and growth, higher education institutions around the world still reproduce exclusion, discrimination and inequality with regard to underrepresented and underprivileged communities and peoples, their knowledges and their languages. In this text, we briefly frame contemporary alternatives to mainstream higher education that – some within existing universities, some beyond conventional higher education structures - are working against the grain to address these failings. By introducing the case studies of alternative, intercultural, indigenous, decolonial, co-operative and/or social movement universities that make up this special issue, we identify institutional and organisational tendencies, topic issues and emerging theoretical contributions, thus aiming to develop a deeper understanding of the orientation and role of these institutions, their impacts and challenges faced.

RESUMO No México surgiu, a partir de 2003, um subsistema universitário alternativo explicitamente voltado para estudantes indígenas. Neste artigo examinamos criticamente as assim-chamadas universidades interculturais como um novo tipo de instituição de ensino superior. A análise foi feita por meio de pesquisa empírica oriunda de diferentes estados da arte, de nosso próprio projeto de pesquisa colaborativa-etnográfica realizado em Veracruz e de seminários interinstitucionais organizados anualmente sobre universidades interculturais. Nossa análise aponta tensões e contradições compartilhadas, mas também identifica diferentes tipos de universidades interculturais. Concluímos com algumas recomendações para políticas de ensino superior intercultural no México e na América Latina.

ABSTRACT In Mexico, since 2003 an alternative university subsystem explicitly directed towards indigenous students has been emerging. In this article, we critically analyze these so-called “intercultural universities” as a new kind of higher education institution, through empirical research from different states of the art, from our own collaborative-ethnographic research project carried out in Veracruz and from annually organized, inter-institutional seminars on intercultural universities. Our analysis pinpoints shared tensions and contradictions, but also identifies different types of intercultural universities. We conclude with some recommendations for intercultural higher education policies in Mexico and Latin America.

Abstract This article objective of is to describe and analyze the tensions experienced by graduates of the Universidad Veracruzana Intercultural (UVI) who have studied non-intercultural postgraduate degrees, as well as the synergies that contribute to complement their undergraduate education. This happens when developing specific knowledge-activities constructed in a program with an intercultural approach that come into contact with academic knowledge. Semi-structured interviews were given to graduates of the UVI who have continued their postgraduate studies. A balance of the graduates is presented about their knowledge-activities, the tensions and the synergies that occur in their postgraduate studies when they come into contact with academic knowledge.

Resumen El objetivo de este artículo es describir y analizar las tensiones que han experimentado egresados de la Universidad Veracruzana Intercultural (UVI) que cursan posgrados no interculturales, así como las sinergias que han contribuido a que complementen su formación de licenciatura. Esto ocurre al desarrollar saberes-haceres específicos construidos en un programa con enfoque intercultural que entran en contacto con saberes académicos. Se entrevistó de forma semi-estructurada a egresados de la UVI que han continuado sus estudios de posgrado. Se presenta un balance de los egresados sobre sus saberes-haceres, así como las tensiones y las sinergias que se producen durante sus estudios de posgrado cuando entran en contacto con saberes académicos.

Abstract In light of the analytical keys that intercultural studies and decolonial feminism provide, we analyze the experience of the Universidad Veracruzana Intercultural (UVI), campus Grandes Montañas, in the construction of a pedagogy that triggers empathic relations and restores community bonds that promote forms of relationship which generate well-being and contribute to conflict resolution. From a perspective that appeals to the recognition of local and territorialized codes of meaning regarding peace/violence, the notions and representations that Nahua and mestizo children and young people related to the UVI have, are explored from a bilingual and intercultural approach which considers the diversity of actors involved through four horizons of meaning and action: An interpersonal one, a community one, a school horizon and a family horizon regarding in each of them practices to manage well-being and to resolve conflicts, which are challenged by the political pedagogical commitment of the UVI in the Grandes Montañas region of Veracruz, Mexico.

Resumen A la luz de las claves analíticas que los estudios interculturales y el feminismo decolonial proponen, analizamos la experiencia de la Universidad Veracruzana Intercultural (UVI), sede Grandes Montañas, en la construcción de una pedagogía detonante de relaciones empáticas y restauradora de vínculos comunitarios que derivan en formas de relacionamiento que gestan bienestar y permiten la resolución de conflictos. Desde una perspectiva que apela al reconocimiento de los códigos de significación locales y territorializados sobre paces/violencias, exploramos, con un enfoque interactoral, bilingüe e intercultural, las nociones y representaciones que niños, niñas y jóvenes nahuas y mestizos, vinculados a la UVI, tienen en torno a ellas; esto, a partir de cuatro horizontes de sentido y acción: el interpersonal, el comunitario, el escolar y el familiar. En ello consideramos las prácticas para gestionar bienestar y dirimir conflicto, interpeladas por la apuesta pedagógico-política de la UVI en la región de las Grandes Montañas en Veracruz, México.

In order to provide a contextual frame to understand and to compare the experiences analyzed in this issue, this introductory text presents the situation indigenous youth is facing in higher education in Mexico and Peru. This contextual presentation has been shaped by our conviction that what has been achieved is a result of a larger process of indigenous struggles and claims, their translation into public policy and its implementation inside higher education institutions. Accordingly, this text introduces the cases of Mexico and Peru through two dimensions: the emergence of the specific claims, on the one hand, and the respective construction of intercultural higher education for indigenous people, on the other hand.

Con la intensión de ofrecer el marco de referencia para comprender y comparar las experiencias canalizadas en este número, el siguiente texto presenta la situación de los jóvenes indígenas en la educación superior en México y Perú. Esta descripción contextual ha sido construida desde la comprensión de que todo lo avanzado en esta materia ha sido el resultado de procesos de configuración de una demanda, su traducción como política pública y su re-traducción en la gestión, aplicación o uso de la misma. De esta forma, el texto presenta los casos de México y Perú en dos ejes: la formulación de la demanda y la construcción de la oferta de educación superior intercultural o para pueblos indígenas.