Intercultural Institute of Ayuuk

Intercultural Institute of Ayuuk
Abbreviation ISIA
Established 2006 (2006)
Purpose Lift up indigenous peoples
Location
Region served
Southern Mexico
Cofounder
 Genaro Vasquez[1]
President
 Cesar Palacios Gonzalez[2]
Director
 Guillermo Estrada Jacques
Students
 150 with 12 ethnicities
Affiliations Jesuit, AUSJAL
Website Ayuuk

Intercultural Institute of Ayuuk (ISIA) (Instituto Superior Intercultural Ayuuk) is a small Jesuit University in the indigenous region of the Mixe people in Jaltepec de Candayoc, Oaxaca, Southern Mexico. It addresses the desire of the Mixe people to preserve their livelihood and culture amidst contrary global forces. Support for ISIA has come from the seven other Jesuit universities in Mexico[3] and from other benefactors including the Ford Foundation."[4]

Program

The Ignatian Pedagogical Paradigm has cohered well with the Ayuuk concept of radically practical rather than academic learning: a contextualized, shared learning experience, passing through the stages of experience, reflection, and action, followed by evaluation of results in addressing real-life problems.[5] Sustainable human development along with defending the right of indigenous peoples to determine their own future are integral to ISIA's mission,[6] as it promotes "the institutionalization of indigenous practices through education."[7]

The degrees offered are in Sustainable Development, Communication,[8] and Intercultural Education.[9] Ayuuk's work in inculturated communication has been successful in "reducing the digital divide."[10] And its work toward sustainable development has received the support of Tierra international which installed solar panels for the school while teaching the technology to students and faculty.[11]

Lecturers from Mexico's public and private universities do 60% of the teaching pro bono. Most students pay less than 3% of the cost of their room, board, and education[12] but they follow the local custom of “collective work”: every student has a job related to the upkeep and development of the school.[13]

A survey in 2015 found that 80% of graduates were using their training to work at the development of their places of origin, which includes 5 Mexican states and 12 native languages. Teaching is in Spanish and all learn English.[12]

References

Coordinates: 17°21′10.27″N 95°24′47.68″W / 17.3528528°N 95.4132444°W / 17.3528528; -95.4132444

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