HIGHER EDUCATION IN TIMES OF NEOLIBERALISM: TRANSFORMATIONS, CHALLENGES, AND CRITICAL HORIZONS IN LATIN AMERICA
Keywords:
Higher education, neoliberalism, Latin America, educational exclusion, university reforms, social justice, public policiesAbstract
This documentary review article analyzes the impact of neoliberalism on higher education, particularly within the Latin American context. Based on theoretical sources and recent studies, it examines the structural transformations that universities have undergone in recent decades, characterized by the adoption of market-oriented logics, the redefinition of the teaching role, and the exclusion of vulnerable sectors. The study adopts a qualitative and hermeneutic approach, focused on the critical analysis of academic documents, aiming to identify how neoliberal policies have affected the quality, equity, and social purpose of higher education. The findings show that, while market-driven reforms have fostered certain levels of innovation and competitiveness, they have also deepened structural inequalities and weakened the humanistic mission of universities. Ultimately, the article emphasizes the urgent need to rethink the purpose of higher education from an inclusive, transformative perspective committed to social justice.
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