UT Betting on Mexico

MEXICO CITY — In an attempt to strengthen its presence in Mexico, the University of Texas at Austin sponsored a unique academic conference here this week that brought UT researchers together with counterparts from five of Mexico's leading universities.

The conference marks the third major UT delegation to Mexico in the last year. The university is also seeking to bolster relations with Mexican alumni and business leaders.

While the five-day conference that concluded Friday focused on issues like immigration and border security, it was also about solidifying UT's standing and cache in the region.

"It's about competitiveness — we want to be recognized as the gateway to Mexico," said Terri Givens, vice provost in charge of international activities. "We want to say, 'If you want to work with Mexican universities, you have to talk to UT.'"

As part of the conference, UT brought together officials from some of Mexico's best schools — the National Autonomous University of Mexico, the Center for Economic Research and Teaching, the Autonomous Technological Institute of Mexico, the College of Mexico and Monterrey Tech.

UT officials hope they are laying the groundwork for more study abroad programs, faculty exchanges and internship opportunities for UT students interested in Mexico.

"It's another way of being on the cutting edge," said Bryan Roberts, director of UT's Teresa Lozano Long Institute of Latin American Studies. "If I can bring in top Mexican specialists to give students a sense of what really is going on, then that's an asset to us."

Roberts said partnerships with Mexican universities could lead to wide array of academic choices that Mexican schools specialize in, such as Latin American economics.

Other possibilities include beaming lectures from Mexican professors into UT classes and research collaboration on topics like immigration.

"These types of things enrich both of us and help deepen our academic work," said Gustavo Verduzco, a UT graduate and sociology professor at the College of Mexico.

UT officials are also hoping to attract more Mexican students to Austin.

"We're addressing questions of mutual interest," said Provost Steve Leslie. "How do we do a better job educating the future workforce and developing the economy in Mexico — in northern Mexico — so that Texas and Mexico can be strong partners."

UT has been focusing on building its Mexico ties for more than a year. Last January, UT President Bill Powers led a delegation that met with U.S. Ambassador (and UT grad) Tony Garza and a group of influential UT alumni in Mexico. Several months later, UT officials met with some of the school's 1,200 Mexican alumni in the northern city of Monterrey. UT boasts five Texas Exes alumni associations in Mexico, whose activities range from UT game-watching parties to fundraising.

The Mexico City conference, which brought more than 60 UT professors, officials and students to the hemisphere's largest city, is the first stage of UT's global strategy, Givens said. The school plans similar efforts in Brazil, Argentina and South Korea.

"In different regions of the world we want to identify strategic partners, and help faculty develop connections," Givens said. "To be competitive in today's world we need to be engaged."

Among the topics getting the most attention this week in Mexico City at the UT-sponsored conference was the U.S. presidential election and its impact on Mexico.

Lorenzo Meyer, an international relations professor at the College of Mexico and well known Mexican pundit, said John McCain's emergence as the likely Republican candidate was being viewed as good news in Mexico, especially given the tough anti-immigration stance of his rivals.

"This was the best that could have happened from the Mexican point of view," Meyer said, adding that McCain was the likely favorite of conservative President Felipe Calderon's administration.

On the Democratic side, Meyer said Barack Obama scored points this week.

"He said the U.S. should help strengthen the economy in Mexico so we don't go there," Meyer told an overflow crowd at the College of Mexico. "It's not because of any great friendship (with Mexicans), but because they don't want us there."

He said the remaining three major candidates generally have similar views on immigration. "It's almost the same regardless of who wins," he said. "All three seem willing to embrace immigration reform. The question, as always, will be the U.S. Congress."