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The Interoceanic Corridor of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec as a Driver of
Academic and Scientific Development in Southern Mexico: The Strategic
Role of ANUIES
ABSTRACT
The Interoceanic Corridor of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec (CIIT) represents a strategic initiative aimed
at promoting economic and logistical development in southern Mexico. However, its impact must also
be examined from the perspective of social rights, particularly about equitable access to education and
the strengthening of human capital. Although Mexico possesses a solid constitutional framework that
recognizes fundamental social rights such as education, employment, and social well-being, territorial
inequalities persist that limit their effective realization, especially in historically disadvantaged regions
such as the country’s southern and southeastern areas. The objective of this study was to evaluate the
role of academic development within the context of the CIIT, highlighting the role of the National
Association of Universities and Higher Education Institutions (ANUIES) in fostering an educational
ecosystem capable of contributing to regional development and to the strengthening of these rights.
Through a documentary and statistical analysis based on data from National Institute of Statistics and
Geography (INEGI), Ministry of Science, Humanities, Technology and Innovation (SECIHTI),
Ministry of Public Education (SEP), and ANUIES, the study examined the alignment between the
existing educational supply and the productive demands associated with the development of the
corridor. The findings reveal a significant mismatch between the available academic training and
emerging industrial needs, particularly in fields related to science, technology, engineering, and
mathematics, as well as in specialized technical education. Although institutional initiatives exist to
strengthen university industry collaboration, their implementation faces structural, institutional, and
budgetary constraints that limit their effectiveness. The study concludes that the logistical infrastructure
of the CIIT alone cannot guarantee regional development unless it is accompanied by strategic planning
aimed at strengthening human capital. In this regard, enhancing higher education and improving its
alignment with productive needs not only represents a strategy for increasing regional economic
competitiveness, but also constitutes a key element in advancing the effective protection of social rights
and in reducing territorial inequalities in Mexico.
Keywords: interoceanic corridor of the isthmus of Tehuantepec (CIIT), ANUIES, academic
development, higher education, university–industry collaboration, educational policy, strategic
investment planning, human capital
Artículo recibido 20 enero 2026
Aceptado para publicación: 24 febrero 2026