University of La Verne officials recently signed a collaboration agreement with Mexican consulate leaders to increase in academic exchanges between Mexican colleges and the University of La Verne.
One goal in this is to stimulate economic development and strengthen the relationships between the University and some of its Mexican counterparts.
University President Devorah Lieberman and the Consul General of Mexico in Los Angeles, Carlos Manuel Sada Solana, signed the memorandum of understanding in March to formally join forces with the hope of boosting student and faculty exchanges.
“Our borders touch one another,” Lieberman said. “We are sitting next to an enormous country with culture and history that we need to know more about and be part of.”
The memorandum was associated with the Bilateral Forum on Higher Education, Innovation and Research, also known as FOBESII, an acronym for its Spanish name.
FOBESII’s creation was announced in 2013 by the presidents of Mexico and the United States. The program’s objective is to promote economic development between the two countries. Besides academic collaborations, FOBESII hopes to strengthen relationships between the two countries’ governments and their private sectors.
“Having more opportunities for the University of La Verne to (engage with) people from Mexico and vice versa will only make Mexico stronger and us stronger,” Lieberman said. “The MOU (creates) an option and an opportunity here to really grow this,” said Daniel Loera, ULV multicultural affairs director.
The collaboration agreement also supports the Mexican program, “Proyecta 100,000.”
This program’s objective is to admit 100,000 Mexican students in American colleges and 50,000 American students in Latin America by 2018. The program’s goal is to promote academic exchanges.
–Melissa Gasia
