As part of Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey’s inaugural visit to Mexico, University of Arizona President Ann Weaver Hart and the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, or UNAM, have signed a memorandum of understanding to establish a new Center for Mexican Studies at the UA.
Earlier this year, Hart announced that the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, which translates to the National Autonomous University of Mexico, had selected the UA to serve as the site of a branch center that would be focused on fostering collaborative research.
“The UNAM Center for Mexican Studies at the UA will be a unique expression of the depth of our relationship with one of Latin America’s premier research institutions,” Hart said.
UNAM is known as one of the top universities in Latin America for academic excellence. Its main campus is located in Mexico City, although it serves more than 345,000 students across its campuses throughout Mexico. Of that number, 110,000 are enrolled in an affiliated high school system.
This week’s visit is Ducey’s first to Mexico since taking office. During his visit, the governor also met with various officials and business leaders in an effort to identify ways to enhance economic and diplomatic relationships between Arizona and Mexico.
According to a study commissioned by the Arizona Office of Tourism and conducted by the UA Eller College of Management Economic and Business Research Center, visitors from Mexico contribute $7.3 million to Arizona’s economy per day.
Since 2007, the UA has operated an office in Mexico City. It was created to help encourage collaboration between the University and businesses in Mexico. The UA’s Office of Western Hemispheric Programs was created the same year and is dedicated to identifying collaborative opportunities between the University and agencies in Canada, Mexico and Latin America.
In addition to the UNAM Center of Mexican Studies, the UA has collaborated with multiple Mexican institutions on various projects. For example, a binational research consortium on arid lands was established in partnership between the UA’s Mexico City office and the National University of Mexico. The consortium is funded by Mexico’s National Council for Science and Technology, also known as CONACyT, the country’s equivalent of the National Science Foundation.