Bringing Education Closer to the Fields
Historically, students at Chapingo’s regional centers had to relocate to the central campus in Texcoco after completing preparatory levels. This new approach aims to reduce forced educational migration and ensure graduates stay in their communities, driving social and economic development.
In a significant shift for Mexico’s agricultural education, the Autonomous University of Chapingo (UACh) has embarked on a structural transformation to break free from decades of centralized education. Following unprecedented reforms to Articles 145, 146, and 148 of the university’s statute, UACh now focuses on Regional Academic Centers, bringing professional offerings directly to rural communities to curb student migration and address 21st-century environmental crises.
Education at the Field’s Doorstep
With 172 years of history, Chapingo has been the cornerstone of agronomic teaching in Mexico. However, much of its academic impact was concentrated at the central Texcoco campus. Although regional centers existed since the 1980s, they primarily functioned as research units or introductory levels, forcing students to move to the heart of the country for professional completion.
“The goal is to prevent student relocation and have the university near their homes,” stated Rector Dr. Angel Garduño García in an interview with El Economista. “We want knowledge to be directly applied in their regions, enhancing production methods in marginalized areas.”
He explained that this change is possible due to the statute reform passed over a year ago, approved by more than half of the university community. With this, former regional centers are now Regional Academic Centers with administrative autonomy to design programs addressing their specific geographical needs.
Regenerative Agriculture: Beyond Sustainability
The cornerstone of this decentralization and the transformation’s turning point is the Regenerative Agriculture Engineering, to be taught in Morelia. According to the Rector, unlike traditional agroecology or conventional agronomy, this program addresses three critical fronts: soil degradation, climate change, and biodiversity loss.
He explained that the “produce more at any cost” model is obsolete. The new profile seeks specialists with a systemic vision capable of restoring soil health, not just preserving but revitalizing it. He also spoke about resource efficiency in production systems that don’t deplete water or nutrients and public policies forming professional cadres to design legal frameworks for sustainable territorial development.
To ensure academic quality, this program will last five years. The first year will function as a common technical and ethical foundation, equipping students with necessary tools in biological and physical-mathematical sciences, compensating for the elimination of traditional preparatory levels and enabling direct regional entry.
Among its subjects are: Artificial Intelligence and Data Science applied to precision agriculture; omics sciences and remote sensing for monitoring large-scale soil restoration, complemented by an ethical and sustainable approach blending ancestral wisdom with tools to scale regenerative processes amidst climate change.
A National Expansion Map
Morelia is just the first step in an ambitious expansion plan. According to university authorities, the success of the Veterinary Medicine and Zootechnics program in UACh’s Regional University Unit for Arid Zones in Durango has inspired other sedes:
For example, we have the pilot model in Morelia with Regenerative Agriculture Engineering. In Zacatecas, there’s a model evaluation proposal; and in Veracruz and Oaxaca, they are expected to be the next sedes with general interest in local programs to retain talent.
Social Mobility
A highlighted aspect of the interview was the social impact. Currently, 27% of Chapingo’s students speak an indigenous language, making the university a motor for social mobility in highly marginalized communities.
“We don’t just offer courses; we seek close linkage where the university provides service, research, and direct support to communities,” noted the Rector. By preventing the dislocation of young people, it is expected that graduates become the technical leaders transforming their own territories, reducing the economic gap that has historically punished Mexican agriculture.
A Call to New Generations
The admission process for Regenerative Agriculture Engineering already includes a regional exam conducted simultaneously with the national one, a novelty in UACh’s history. The Rector called aspirants interested in science, the environment, and social commitment to check the bases on the institution’s official platforms.
He concluded that with this strategy, Chapingo not only celebrates its past but also projects itself towards a future where higher education could stop being a distant destination and become a powerful, local tool for climate and social change.
Key Dates and Mandatory Requirements for the 2026 Concurso
UACh emphasized that this year there is a new mandatory requirement: to secure their spot on exam day, aspirants must confirm attendance through the system; otherwise, they cannot participate.
Examination Process Calendar:
- Applicant registration: February 1 – March 8, 2026 at aspirantes.chapingo.mx.
- Mandatory attendance confirmation: March 9 – 29, 2026 (essential for examination).
- Fetching application forms: March 9 – 29, 2026.
- Application of the admission exam: Saturday, May 23, 2026.
- Publication of results: June 28, 2026.
Who Can Participate?
While regional admission gives preference to residents of specific zones in Michoacán, Guanajuato, Jalisco, Colima, Guerrero, Querétaro, and the State of Mexico, the call is open to aspirants nationwide who have completed or are about to finish their baccalaureate.
For more information, the university has made available the emails [email protected] and [email protected], as well as the free phone number 800 503 47 74.
