Epistemic independence struggles: A comparative analysis of two indigenous universities in Peru and Ecuador

This paper analyzes the rise of two indigenous universities -UNIA and UINPI- in Peru and Ecuador; two Andean post-colonial countries in which neoliberal policies have been applied since the 1980’s. Despite of similar conditions of their countries, UINPI (Ecuador) and UNIA (Peru) present marked differ-ences; while the first has been able to challenge to the traditional Ecuadorian higher education system, the second has followed traditional patterns in the production and reproduction of scientific and technical knowledge. Based on a neo-gramscian approach, this paper argue that the reasons to the different tra-jectory of every university must be found not just in the political conjuncture of both countries but paying attention to three inextricably linked scenarios: first, the constitution of the national state project of every country; second, the historical conformation and development of their respective higher education systems; and third, the way in which the indigenous communities has been ar-ticulated and have articulated themselves in the nation state project and the Higher Education System of every country.