UNESCO-ICHEI Visits Mexico and Argentina to Deepen Cooperation on AI and Higher Education
From 19 to 22 October 2026, a delegation of the International Centre for Higher Education Innovation under the auspices of UNESCO (UNESCO-ICHEI) visited Mexico and Argentina. The delegation comprised Mr. SIT Fung, Assistant Director & Chief of the Global Partnership and Programme Office, UNESCO-ICHEI, and Mr. YANG Shangyi, Programme Officer of the Global Partnership and Programme Office. The delegation held working meetings with the UNESCO Office in Mexico, local universities, educational research institutions and government agencies. Discussions focused on artificial intelligence (AI) in teaching, strengthening educators' digital competencies, the joint development and sharing of Spanish-language courses, and regional cooperation.
On 19 October, the UNESCO-ICHEI delegation met representatives of seven departments at the University of Guadalajara in Mexico, including the Rector's Office, the Office of Academic Affairs, the Online Training Centre, the Innovation Centre and the Office of International Cooperation. The two sides will sign a one-year pilot project cooperation agreement before the end of 2026. They plan to incorporate training based on "AI+Educator Empowerment" micro-certification courses offered by the International Institute of Online Education (IIOE) into the university's annual continuing professional development programme, and to introduce relevant IIOE AI micro-certification courses as electives in its planned AI degree programmes. They also plan to exchange course resources, bringing more than 40 Spanish-language teacher training courses from the university onto the IIOE platform and making high-quality localised resources available to more partners.
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The UNESCO-ICHEI delegation meets representatives of relevant departments at the University of Guadalajara
The delegation subsequently visited the Open Platform for Innovation and Development of Jalisco (Plataforma Abierta de Innovación y Desarrollo de Jalisco, PLAi), Mexico. The delegation met representatives responsible for planning, programmes and partnerships to discuss establishing a dedicated PLAi space on IIOE and exchanging Spanish-language micro-certification courses. PLAi plans to incorporate IIOE's "AI+Cross-Border E-Commerce" micro-certification courses into its digital marketing training programme, and to recommend "AI+Life Sciences" micro-certification courses for induction training at the Jalisco State Health Department.
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The UNESCO-ICHEI delegation meets the PLAi team
On the morning of 20 October, at the UNESCO Office in Mexico, the UNESCO-ICHEI delegation met Ms. Rosa Wolpert, National Education Officer and Head of the Education Sector, and the heads of the natural sciences, social and human sciences, culture, and communication and information sectors. Participants also included Mr. Rodrigo Rojas Navarrete, Director-General of the National College of Technical Professional Education (CONALEP), and Mr. Luis Armando González Placencia, Executive Secretary-General of the National Association of Universities and Higher Education Institutions (ANUIES). CONALEP expressed initial interest in incorporating "AI+Cross-Border E-Commerce" micro-certification courses into programmes such as digital marketing and business management. UNESCO-ICHEI and ANUIES established a channel for identifying IIOE course needs and advancing institutional cooperation through the association's university network.
The UNESCO-ICHEI delegation meets representatives of the UNESCO Office in Mexico and Mexican education institutions
On the afternoon of 20 October, the UNESCO-ICHEI delegation met representatives of the AI Coordinating Council (Consejo Coordinador de Inteligencia Artificial, CCOIA) and teams working on online education at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, UNAM). The two sides agreed on a plan to sign a project cooperation agreement on "AI+Educator Empowerment" micro-certification before the end of 2026. They proposed establishing a dedicated UNAM space on IIOE and adapting the university's existing Spanish-language AI courses into modules aligned with IIOE's micro-certification quality standards and course structure, for sharing on the IIOE platform.
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The UNESCO-ICHEI delegation meets representatives of the National Autonomous University of Mexico
The UNESCO-ICHEI delegation also visited the Mexican Council for Educational Research (Consejo Mexicano de Investigación Educativa, COMIE), met with the president, Mr. Alberto Ramírez Martinell, and other board representatives, and signed a Memorandum of Understanding. COMIE has created its page on the IIOE platform. COMIE plans to hold its first Mexico-nationwide webinar on IIOE's "AI+Educator Empowerment" micro-certification courses in November 2026, moving cooperation from platform development to training delivery.
UNESCO-ICHEI and the Mexican Council for Educational Research sign a Memorandum of Understanding
On the morning of 22 October, at the University of Buenos Aires (Universidad de Buenos Aires, UBA) in Argentina, the UNESCO-ICHEI delegation met Mr. Patricio Conejero Ortiz, Secretary for International Relations and Director of the Latin America-China Observatory, and representatives of relevant faculties. The two sides expressed their intention to jointly implement the "AI-Enabled Empowerment: Women's Leadership in Higher Education in the Global South" programme and the AI Teaching Laboratory Project in Latin America, and discussed course localisation and regional research cooperation. The Faculty of Agronomy presented its work with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations on developing agricultural micro-certification courses, as well as its production of courses on AI and agriculture. This work provides a basis for exchanging and jointly developing "AI+AgriTech" micro-certification courses.
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The UNESCO-ICHEI delegation meets representatives of UBA's Secretariat for International Relations and relevant faculties
That afternoon, the UNESCO-ICHEI delegation met Ms. María Catalina Nosiglia, Secretary for Academic Affairs at UBA, and Ms. Silvia Andreoli, Director-General of the Centre for Innovation in Technology and Pedagogy (Centro de Innovación en Tecnología y Pedagogía, CITEP), alongside other representatives. The university presented its framework for educators' digital competencies, research on AI in teaching and experience in inter-university training. The two sides plan to work with CITEP to develop Spanish-language courses for the "AI-Enabled Empowerment: Women's Leadership in Higher Education in the Global South" programme, drawing on UBA's existing framework for educators' digital empowerment. They will also further explore course exchange and cooperation on micro-certification projects.
The UNESCO-ICHEI delegation meets representatives of UBA's Centre for Innovation in Technology and Pedagogy
The visit further expanded UNESCO-ICHEI's cooperation network in Latin America and identified priorities for follow-up work on sharing Spanish-language course resources, operating dedicated institutional spaces on IIOE, strengthening higher education professionals' AI capacities, implementing the "AI-Enabled Empowerment: Women's Leadership in Higher Education in the Global South" programme, and developing the AI Teaching Laboratory Project. Through the IIOE platform, UNESCO-ICHEI will continue to advance course localisation, capacity-building and knowledge exchange with partners in Mexico, Argentina and across the wider Latin American and Caribbean region, supporting more higher education professionals in applying AI effectively and responsibly in their teaching practice and deepening cooperation on the digital transformation of higher education across the Global South.
About University of Guadalajara
The University of Guadalajara (Universidad de Guadalajara, UdeG) is a public autonomous university in the Mexican state of Jalisco. Through its statewide university network, it provides upper-secondary and higher education, conducts research and promotes culture. Its disciplines include engineering, health sciences, economics and management, and biological and agricultural sciences. International cooperation and educational innovation support its contribution to regional development.
About Open Platform for Innovation and Development of Jalisco
The Open Platform for Innovation and Development of Jalisco (PLAi) is a public training institution of the Government of Jalisco, Mexico. It offers training in digital skills and innovation for working adults, enterprises, university communities and public service personnel. Through partnerships with education institutions and industry, it combines online learning with flexible training to respond to workforce and economic development needs.
About UNESCO Office in Mexico
The UNESCO Office in Mexico works across education, science, culture, and communication and information. It provides specialised technical assistance to governments, institutions, civil society organisations and enterprises, strengthening capacities and cooperation in support of a more equitable and inclusive society.
About National Autonomous University of Mexico
The National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) is a public autonomous university with a mandate encompassing education, research and the dissemination of culture. It offers undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, open and distance education, and continuing education. The university has developed resources and practical experience in educational innovation, online learning and the use of AI in teaching.
About Mexican Council for Educational Research
The Mexican Council for Educational Research (COMIE) is a non-profit academic association bringing together educational researchers from universities and research institutions across Mexico. It promotes high-quality educational research and connects the research community through academic exchange, the dissemination of findings and professional activities.
About University of Buenos Aires
The University of Buenos Aires (UBA) is a public comprehensive university in Argentina, with responsibilities spanning higher education, research and service to society. Its Centre for Innovation in Technology and Pedagogy (Citep), within the Secretariat for Academic Affairs, supports pedagogical innovation through research and practice in faculty development, teaching design, digital learning environments and AI applications.
