On November 5, 2024, the inauguration ceremony of the Mexico Unit of Fieldwork of IIAS, Tsinghua University, and the academic symposium on ‘Development and Sustainability in the Global South from a New Developmentalist Perspective’ was held at El Colegio de México. Established by the Institute for International and Area Studies of Tsinghua University (hereinafter referred to as ‘IIAS’) and the Center for Asia-Africa Studies of El Colegio de México, the Mexico Unit of Fieldwork will become an important platform for promoting transnational academic exchanges and cooperation and for exploring the future direction of the development of area studies.
Group photo of the inauguration ceremony of the Mexico Unit of Fieldwork and the academic roadshow event
The discussion was moderated respectively by Assistant Professors of IIAS, Dr. Xu Peiyuan and Dr. Wang Shiao. During the event, Prof. Ana Covarrubias Velasco, General Academic Coordinator of El Colegio de México, gave a welcome speech. Prof. Covarrubias said that China is an important partner of Mexico and hoped to strengthen academic exchanges between the two countries through the establishment of IIAS's Mexico Unit of Fieldwork. Dr. Zhou Yan, Assistant Dean of IIAS, then delivered the opening speech, in which she firstly expressed her warm welcome to all the scholars and participants. She pointed out that the IIAS attaches importance to strengthening the research on the countries of the Global South through long-term fieldwork, and hoped that the Mexico Unit of Fieldwork would set up a platform for researchers from China and Latin America as well as other regions to share academic resources, discuss regional issues together, and strengthen the academic dialogue. Prof. José Antonio Cervera, Director of the Center for Asian and African Studies at El Colegio de México, then delivered an opening speech. Prof. Cervera pointed out that China is playing an increasingly important role on the world, and in the face of an increasingly competitive world, it is particularly important to strengthen cooperation between countries in the Global South. He hoped that through the Mexico Unit of Fieldwork, scholars from both countries can strengthen cooperation and exchange. Afterwards, Dr. Zhou Yan and Prof. Cervera unveiled the plaque for the Mexico Unit of Fieldwork of the Institute, and a group photo was taken with all the participants.
Group photo of the inauguration of the Mexico Unit of Fieldwork
Scholars from China, Mexico and the United Kingdom gathered to discuss development in the Global South at the academic dialogue on Development and Sustainability in the Global South from a New Developmentalist Perspective. Prof. Diego Sánchez-Ancochea of the Department of International Development, University of Oxford, reviewed the Declaration of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) and made recommendations for development policies in the 21st century. Professor Ilán Bizberg of the Center for International Studies at El Colegio de México presented the varied models of development in Latin America, dissecting the characteristics and dimensions of the four political economy models within the region. Prof. Liu Xuedong from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), Aragón Campus, pointed out the significant contribution of Mexico's imports from China to local economic growth. Professor Wang Yongzhong of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences demonstrated the role of gradualism in boosting economic growth in light of China's reform and opening-up experience, and discussed China's efforts to transition to an environmentally friendly economy. Associate Professor Guo Jie of Peking University analyzed the trend of transition from quantitative to qualitative development and emphasized the importance of strengthening cooperation among countries in the Global South. Prof. Clemente Ruiz Durán of the Faculty of Economics of the National Autonomous University of Mexico focused on the low value-added dilemma faced by Mexico and advocated upgrading productive capacities and deepening international cooperation to address global trade challenges.
In roundtable discussion, Prof. Chen Yong from the Center for Asian and African Studies of El Colegio de México, Prof. Ricardo Velázquez Leyer from the Universidad Iberoamericana, and Prof. Raymundo Miguel Campos from the Center for Economic Studies of El Colegio de México served as commentators. Participants engaged in a lively discussion on the development models of Latin America and China, the main challenges facing Latin America, Mexico's challenges in technological innovation, and regional development inequalities. The exchange offered valuable insights into the development and the cooperation within the Global South.
The scene of the meeting
Finally, Professor Tim Niblock, Director of the Global Issues Research Center at the IIAS and Emeritus Professor at the University of Exeterr, summarized and commented on the keynote speeches and discussion. Professor Niblock highlyaffirmed the seminar's significance in promoting Latin America studies and hoped that it could strengthen academic exchanges between the two sides and further deepen the understanding of regional development through different perspectives. Meanwhile, Prof. Cervera, Director of the Center for Asian and African Studies of El Colegio de México, highly evaluated the keynote speeches and hoped that the academic cooperation between China and Mexico could be maintained for a long time and further strengthened in the future. In the warm atmosphere of exchange and discussion, the academic dialogue of the Mexico Unit of Fieldwork of IIAS was successfully concluded.
Conference concluding remarks by Prof. Tim Niblock
