CIRIEC-Mexico held its 5th International Research Congress on Social Economy on May 28, 29, and 30 at the Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana (UAM) in Mexico City. The event gathered around two hundred researchers, professionals, and government officials under the theme: “Theoretical Development and Experiences that Strengthen the Social and Solidarity Economy in Mexico.”
The opening ceremony featured the UAM rector, José Antonio de los Reyes Heredia, along with Jesús Ramírez Cuevas (representing the Presidency of Mexico), Patricia Couturier Bañuelos (coordinator of UAM’s Social and Solidarity Economy Research Network), Rafael Chaves (president of CIRIEC-Spain’s Scientific Commission), Juan José Rojas Herrera (president of CIRIEC-Mexico), and Leobardo Vega (head of Public Relations for the La Cruz Azul cooperative).
“The UAM is an active part of Mexico’s transformation and works to build knowledge committed to economic and social change by fostering research, networks, diagnostics, regulations, and training focused on strengthening the Social and Solidarity Economy (SSE),” said José Antonio de los Reyes Heredia in his opening remarks.
In his keynote “New Impetus for the SSE: Reflections from UAM,” the rector emphasized that among its SSE initiatives, the university coordinated the first UAM Forum to “Rethink the Social and Solidarity Economy.” This led to a collective publication with 25 field studies and more than one hundred participants.
From a student perspective, the rector highlighted that over 500 students have taken courses, workshops, or diplomas related to social economy. “We do not train technical profiles to serve private accumulation. On the contrary, we train future professionals committed to collective well-being, capable of generating viable, ethical, and sustainable solutions,” he concluded.
The Congress continued with roundtables, three keynote addresses, and six discussion panels. Topics included the theoretical-conceptual framework of transformative economies; legislation and public policies supporting SSE; successful SSE experiences in Mexico; gender and equity in SSE; educational programs; and methodologies and techniques for statistically measuring the economic and social impact of SSE enterprises.
UAM Social and Solidarity Economy Research Network
Patricia Couturier Bañuelos stressed that SSE “is not charity but justice, as it promotes wealth redistribution and empowers communities for a future where no one is left out and abundance is shared.” In her talk “The Social and Solidarity Economy: At the Heart of an Urgent Transformation for Life, Justice, and the Future,” she described SSE as “a living act, a fierce and conscious gesture of love offered to the planet that sustains us.”
Similarly, Jesús Ramírez Cuevas, head advisor to the Mexican Presidency, stated that the core of SSE is democracy—“not just as a mechanism for electing representatives, but as a form of social organization aimed at continuously improving people’s lives.”
Other speakers included Julio Armillas (Director of Social Enterprises and Loans at INAES), Elvira Concheiro (Undersecretary of Substantive Equality), Federico Li (Director of CIRIEC-Costa Rica), Roberto Cañedo (CIRIEC-Mexico), David Barkin (specialist in solidarity and ecological economics), and Noemi Lezama (coordinator of ENUEESSCO, a network of Mexican universities working on SSE education and research).
The collective work “Research and Construction of Social Economy from the Epistemology of the South,” published by CONAHCIT and Fondo de Cultura Económica, was presented by Professor Ricardo Contreras Soto.
A European Perspective on the Role of Universities in Promoting the Social and Solidarity Economy
Professor Chaves, president of CIRIEC-Spain’s Scientific Commission, offered a European and international perspective on the academic world’s role in fostering the social economy.
He stressed the importance of institutionalizing favorable ecosystems for the development of the social economy, creating relationships of mutual trust and benefit among government authorities, SSE actors, and academia. “Such a favorable ecosystem, based on mutual respect and constructive dialogue, contributes to building a shared work agenda that benefits all our countries.”
