MEXICAN UNIVERSITY DEANS MEET WITH THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF UNIVERSITIES

In a meeting organized by the Foreign Ministry, a group of university deans and representatives from Mexican academic institutions met yesterday in Washington, DC, with university presidents of the American Association of Universities (AAU). The Undersecretary for North America, Dr. Sergio M. Alcocer, and a representative from the US State Department attended.

During the meeting it was agreed to:

• Strengthen the dialogue between the AAU and Mexican universities and institutions.

• Explore the possibility of holding annual meetings in Mexico and the United States.

• Design and implement joint research projects that meet the needs of economic development in strategic areas for both countries.

• Strengthen programs for student and academic mobility.

• Encourage linking higher education, science, technology and innovation with social inclusion and human development.

The following Mexican institutions were at the meeting: the Center for Research and Advanced Studies (CINVESTAV); the National Council for Science and Technology (CONACYT); the National Polytechnic Institute (IPN); Instituto Tecnologico de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey (ITESM); San Luis Potosí University (UASLP); Autonomous University of Baja California (UABC); Autonomous Metropolitan University (UAM); Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico (UNAM) and the Veracruzana University.

The AAU, founded in 1900, is comprised of 62 public and private universities in the U.S. and Canada that stand out for their academic excellence and research. Members must be invited by the committee. Its main goal is to design and implement national and institutional policies for education and research. The presidents of the following universities attended: UTexas at Austin, Rice, UPenn, University of Arizona and Cornell.

The Executive Director of the Mexico-United States Commission for Educational and Cultural Exchange (COMEXUS) also attended.

The Mexican government reiterates its commitment to fostering collaboration in North America in the fields of science, technology and innovation, and to strengthening the academic ties between the societies of the region.