Mexico visit deepens ties in critical region for UVic

Advancing international objectives related to research, student mobility, co-op education and community engagement were all on the agenda when a University of Victoria team led by President Jamie Cassels spent a week in Mexico in June.

The team included Norah McRae, executive director of Co-op Education and Career Services and director of the Office of Community University Engagement, and Carolyn Russell, director of Student Recruitment and Global Engagement.

A meeting with the National Council of Science and Technology of the United Mexican States (CONACyT) has resulted in an agreement between UVic and CONACyT that will allow funded graduate students to study at UVic and support Mexican fellows for research visits at UVic.

Supporting graduate level students connects UVic researchers with those in Mexico and will enable research funding opportunities and collaborations in areas such as oceans and sustainable energy.

Mexico's largest university, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), is very interested in establishing a partnership with UVic. The university has multiple campuses, research centres, ocean observatories and cultural sites serving close to 400,000 students. Areas of mutual interest for student and faculty mobility included oceans, sustainable energy, indigenous studies, arts, cultural heritage, community engagement and co-op.

Cassels and his team were hosted at the Canadian Embassy in Mexico City where he and McRae gave presentations to members of the Canadian Chamber in Mexico City and embassy staff. Chamber members, aware of the Canadian-Mexico Free Trade Agreement, were very interested to learn about UVic's co-op program and the opportunity to hire students.

The need for Canadian businesses in both countries to hire students is expected to grow. Co-op work terms in Mexico that develop UVic student capabilities and deepen their understanding of Mexican culture help prepare them for these future opportunities.

While attending the Talloires Network Leaders Conference in Xalapa, Cassels signed an MOU with the UNESCO co-chairs of higher education that commits UVic support to an exciting global project—Knowledge for Change (K4C). The project’s ambitious goals include the establishment of community-based researcher training and mentorship hubs around the world. The inaugural hub will be based at UVic in partnership with Participatory Research in Action (PRIA) India. 

The Mexico trip advanced institutional relationships with key contacts in a critical region for UVic, says Cassels. 

“Continued UVic relationships in Mexico that support and enhance institutional teaching and research activities will prepare our students for the global challenges of the future and ensure UVic expertise has a global impact.

“As Mexican-Canadian relationships grow and deepen, there are many opportunities for our researchers and students, in collaboration with our Mexican partners, to strengthen our ties to our mutual benefit."