Computer Science Research in Mexico

• Authors: Vladimir Estivill-Castro
• Venue: Computer
• Year: 1995

With the enactment of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), Mexico has increased opportunities to compete in the global economy. A month after NAFTA was enacted in January 1994, the National Science Foundation of the US and the National Council for Science and Technology of Mexico met to discuss ways for computer and information science and engineering (CISE) researchers to collaborate in their R&D efforts. In October 1994, these two agencies announced a collaborative program. This can ignite CISE research in Mexico. However, the author points out that scientists, industry, and universities must do their part. The author proposes a series of paths to successful implementation. First, public policy must give higher priority to CISE research, where improvements have already occurred. Federal expenditures for R&D have increased significantly over the last three years. However, Mexico's citizens must invest more as well. Specifically, the private sector must provide a higher percent of the financing for the nation's CISE R&D. Universities and research centers must also improve. CISE PhDs are concentrated in one public and five private centers. This concentration may have its advantages, but the focus should be to enhance R&D output, not to attract industry contracts or student applications. Finally, the author advises the research community to adopt a serious commitment to research and collaborate with other researchers in the face of great obstacles. The author also discusses how other less-developed countries, such as Chile, have oriented their resources to achieve impressive results.