FOREIGN SECRETARY JOSE ANTONIO MEADE SWEARS IN THE NEW INSTITUTE FOR MEXICANS ABROAD (IME) DIRECTOR

Foreign Secretary José Antonio Meade swore in Arnulfo Valdivia Machuca today as Director of the Institute for Mexicans Abroad (IME), a position to which he was appointed on January 6th.

During the ceremony, Foreign Secretary Meade stressed the IME’s important role in assisting those Mexicans who live abroad. He urged Valdivia Machuca to maintain close ties with the Mexican communities abroad.

The IME Director promised to keep in close contact with the Mexicans abroad and with communities with Mexican roots in order to help them defend their rights and to promote programs that make them the agents of their own development in their places of residence and also for Mexico.

Arnulfo Valdivia Machuca received a PhD in Political Economy as well as a Master’s degree in Development Studies from Cambridge University (England). He holds a degree in International Business from the Instituto Tecnologico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey (ITESM). He has two postgraduate degrees, in European Economic Integration from the European University Institute in Florence, Italy, and in Latin American integration from the Stone Center for Latin American Studies at Tulane University in New Orleans (USA).

Dr. Valdivia participated in President Enrique Peña Nieto’s transition team as coordinator for migration issues during the 2012 election campaign. He has also served as National Deputy Coordinator for International Affairs and National Coordinator for Mexicans Abroad of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI).

He has also served as International Affairs Coordinator of the Mexico state government and was the honorary state representative to Europe and the UK. He is an associate professor at Tulane University, the Autonomous University of the State of Mexico, the ITESM, the Universidad del Valle de Toluca and Mexico State College. He has also presented papers at various national and international conferences and is the author of "State and Business Groups in Mexico."