The Maximum House of Studies turns on engines for its great transformation
Rector Leonardo Lomelí Vanegas raised the curtain this week. Not with just any speech, but with the inaugural event of the Analysis Forum on the future of UNAM. This is the official starting signal for a process that aims to rewrite, page by page, the operating manual of the most important university in the country.
And the first thing he did was send a reassuring message to the university community, always jealous of its traditions.
“The reform does not seek to alter the essence of UNAM, but rather to consolidate its fundamental principles,” Lomelí Vanegas stressed from the podium.
Autonomy, public character, national vocation and international prestige. These are the pillars that, according to the rector, are not touched. The change comes from another side.
A new world demands a new university
The real pressure to reform comes not from within, but from without. An outside that advances at breakneck speed. Lomelí said it clearly: scientific and technological advances are giving us a slap in the face of reality. The teaching and management models that worked yesterday are creaking and leaking today.
That is why the focus is on reviewing almost everything: academic, regulatory and administrative structures. The idea is to dust off what is no longer useful and build on what is solid.
But be careful, this will not be a decree from above. The rector promised a plural and inclusive process. Students, academics and administrative staff will have a say. It is, in his words, about strengthening collegiate life and improving representativeness.
It’s a smart move. In an institution with so much history and pride, imposing change is the perfect recipe for conflict. Better to build consensus.
And here comes the most interesting thing: this will not be an express reform. Lomelí spoke of a gradual change with a long-term vision. These are not quick fixes to get by.
The horizon he draws is full of monsters: social inequalities that deepen, environmental crises that suffocate us, and global tensions that shake us. Faced with this challenging panorama, UNAM needs to be more prepared and more linked to society than ever.
The final message is powerful: we can honor our glorious history without becoming prisoners of it. The future knocks at the door of Ciudad Universitaria. And it seems that this time they do plan to open it.




