Abstract:

The Mexican National System of Researchers in Mexico (SNI, in its Spanish Acronym) [1] started in the year of 1984, with the purpose that researchers (not only from the national institutes and laboratories of research and development, but also from the higher education institutions) stay working on science and technology during the deep economic crisis of the country during those years. That system has been one of the main programs of the National Council for Science and Technology (CONACYT, in its Spanish Acronym) which was created in the year of 1970. Since its beginnings, CONACYT prioritized the creation of basic science, leaving technology development to solve big national problems in second place. Therefore, the main products of the SNI have been published papers in magazines of varied qualities as it can be seen in the constant increment in the number of publications by the country. The most important incentives of the SNI for researchers are economic and are based in their publications. In 1985, the number of articles published by SNI researchers was of 2,814, while in the year of 2016 was of 53,214. In 1985 the number of awarded patents to SNI researchers was of 25 and in the year of 2016 was of 204. In 1985, the number of SNI researchers was of 1,396 while in the year of 2016 was of 25,072. The funding for SNI grew from 1.433 billion pesos (in constant 2016 pesos) to 3.070 billion pesos from 1985 to 2016. Starting in the year of 2000, SNI benefitted also private institutions researchers. SNI has fostered increments in the number of professors with doctoral degrees but has led to several of these professors to neglect teaching, since focusing only on research is much more profitable. In this paper we analyze the benefits to Mexican society of the SNI of CONACYT, its scope, limitations and achievements. We also analyze the impact of the SNI in the world rankings of the most prestigious higher institutions of Mexico. Finally, we propose some changes in the national science and technology policies of the country which could yield more to Mexican society for its investment in the SNI.
[1] Sistema Nacional de Investigadores, Accessed 25 July, 2018. Retrieved from https://www.conacyt.gob.mx/index.php/el-conacyt/sistema-nacional-de-investigadores

Keywords:

Policy, regulation, higher education, research.