By Carola Rico
An academic proposal focused mainly on health and scientific research but with a cultural and community focus
The National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) has always been concentrated in Mexico City, but during the last three decades, it has expanded its facilities to other states: Querétaro, Guanajuato, Yucatán, Tabasco, and Michoacán, among others. All this in the search for an essential social approach to scientific research and community development at the national level.
The UNAM arrived in Guanajuato thanks to the initial efforts made by the Municipal Administration of San Miguel (2006-2009) —represented by Jesús Correa—, the Charco del Ingenio —represented by César Arias—, the Public Library —Ali Zerrifi as President of the Board of Directors— and the UNAM Faculty of Economics —headed by Dr. Roberto Escalante—.
In this first stage, the municipality handed over 30 hectares on loan to the UNAM (located in Parque Landeta). The management of this first stage ends with the publication in the University Gazette of August 2010 where the creation of a Center for Economic Studies and Climate Change.
Unfortunately, the legal figure of the loan did not work for the administrative processes of the UNAM and the municipal administration, but at that time the governor of the state, Juan Manuel Oliva, rightly donated the necessary hectares in León for the project to crystallize in Guanajuato.
In 2012, during the administration of Luz María Núñez, the agreement to carry out the creation of an Extension of the ENES León, has already been signed. Finally, the National Autonomous University of Mexico, San Miguel de Allende Extension opened its doors in 2013. Afterwards, Mauricio Trejo was the one who gave them the Casona de Calle de Mesones, where UNAM currently operates in San Miguel de Allende.
Dr. Javier de la Fuente Hernández is the head of the UNAM San Miguel de Allende Extension of its National School of Higher Education in Leon (ENES-Leon). He spoke exclusively with Atención San Miguel about the programs and projects of this house of studies and the progress of the new campus in town, which will undertake the educational offering for the northern area of the state of Guanajuato.
In 2012, during the administration of Luz María Núñez, the agreement to carry out this project had already been signed. And the National Autonomous University of Mexico, San Miguel de Allende Extension, finally opened its doors in 2013.
Doctor Javier de la Fuente Hernández refers to San Miguel as a small town transformed from a retreat space or tourist location to a municipality of great opportunities with a thriving, inclusive, and diverse society seeking means for equity with growth scenarios for its entire population.
Negotiations to bring UNAM to San Miguel began with Jesús Correa as mayor (2006-2009). But it was with Mayor Lucy Núñez (2009-2012) when the agreements for creating an extension of the ENES-León campus were signed. Later, Mayor Mauricio Trejo (2012-2015) gave them the Casona de Calle de Mesones, where UNAM currently operates in San Miguel de Allende.
There are two key moments for Dr. de la Fuente Hernández in this story. The first, in 2012, when an agreement, proposed by Doctor José Narro (Rector of UNAM at that time), was created so all the units of San Miguel were attached to the most important university in the country. And, the second, in 2018, with Enrique Graue (during the Administration of Luis Alberto Villarreal), when the San Miguel units were given the opportunity to offer all the activities that the Autonomous University of Mexico does, which meant preparation of undergraduate and postgraduate students, research, and dissemination of culture and health. This is how everyone’s dream comes true.
Reaching this moment with UNAM has not been easy. Dr. de la Fuente reports that it has been held up for various reasons. Although the relationship with all the mayors who have gone through this process has been magnificent, some circumstances that have had to do with the university and the 3-year municipal administration periods have interrupted the process and made everything slower.
He stressed that we must also consider that we have all been through a pandemic that altered everyone’s economic life. He emphasized that UNAM itself went to online classes, the construction of the new building in San Miguel stopped, and companies began to have problems—it was such a strange year that it affected the whole process.
Today, he assures that we can now see the end of all that; in a short while, during the second semester of this year, UNAM in San Miguel will have its own facilities, and this new campus will have the possibility of having many more activities.
During this first stage, with 4.5 hectares of land, 11 classrooms, educational innovation laboratories, and a polyclinic are being built to serve the open community in the fields of optometry, physiotherapy, dentistry, as well as addiction, probably. UNAM also has mobile units to provide health services in communities.
The clinic is designed to be a field school for undergraduate and graduate students. The idea is that students can have professional practice. At the same time, San Miguel becomes the reference center for fundamental programs such as lip and cleft palate care or neurodevelopmental care for children under 5. This could have a huge impact.
All the programs mentioned have already been operating from ENES-León for more than nine years where they receive the little ones from the communities; by having San Miguel included now, they envision the establishment as the center of attention for the children of the northeast zone of the state and that there will be a close link with treating the health problems of the region.
Regarding formal education, the first degree is currently a bachelor’s degree in translation. The third generation of students entered in August, while the first and second began during the pandemic. In the Mesones building, they are currently working with hybrid classes in the language center for a degree with Spanish, English, French, German, and Japanese and, in this way, serve 250 students.
The graduates working in the heritage city are in art history and the history of opera. And one of the jobs, in the subject of research, is working closely with the Institute of Neurobiology and the Research Center of UNAM-Juriquilla.
In San Miguel, science projects will also be implemented having to do with optometry issues and finding signs in the retina that allow for predicting problems from diabetes.
Dr. de la Fuente assured that this new campus would be very diverse, with a view to significant and organized growth. He recalled the beginnings of the extension unit of UNAM in the city of Leon 10 years ago, which began with 160 students and 4 bachelor’s degrees. Today, it has 1,500 students, 10 bachelor’s degrees, and 20 fields of study at the postgraduate level.
In the new first stage of the new San Miguel campus, they will be able to house around 350 students in person, in both continuing education and undergraduate programs, and there will be up to 40 academics and 25 administrative staff.
De la Fuente added that continuing education is one of the fundamental engines for the growth of many young people and students who, due to various circumstances, cannot continue their training, and this option of online education in professional graduates is fundamental in many ways.
Our interviewee stated that at the UNAM-León campus, they have just approved the Tourism and Sustainable Development degree, which is the first degree at UNAM and in the country with this approach. This career can then practice professionally in San Miguel de Allende, an international tourist benchmark. This professional training will be from the fifth semester of the degree.
The Science, Arts, and Humanities Fair is also planned for San Miguel, presented in squares and public spaces and offering activities for the entire community.
Dr. de la Fuente stressed that the UNAM Extension San Miguel de Allende is taking root in the population, is becoming part of it day by day, blending in with and responding to the needs of not only education but also health, culture, equality, and inclusion.
