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Our Partner to the South

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I know how busy you all are, and how hard you’re working. For some of you, classes have resumed and campuses are once again teeming with life. For others, you are in the final days, final hours really, before the start of the school year.  But I wanted to share some thoughts on the absolute highlight of my week, which was the signing on Tuesday of a Memorandum of Understanding forming a partnership between the UT System and Mexico’s National Council of Science and Technology, also known as CONACYT. The MOU creates a legal framework for our 14 academic and health institutions to collaborate with CONACYT to develop a wide variety of STEM-related research and academic programs for our faculty and students.

What does that mean?  It means there’s going to be a whole lot more cross-border collaboration between the UT System and Mexico.

With Dr. Enrique Cabrero, Director of CONACYT, on the campus of UTSA this week.
With Dr. Enrique Cabrero, Director of CONACYT, on the campus of UTSA this week.

Many of you know that I grew up in San Antonio. Not surprisingly, from an early age I had an interest in and appreciation for the people and culture of Mexico – but as a young man, I didn’t fully understand all the benefits Mexico brings to our state. In my role as Chancellor of the University of Texas System, I have the opportunity to see those benefits first-hand. 

I see engineers from the elite research institutions of Mexico sharing insights on nanotechnology with the students and faculty of the UT San Antonio. I see scientists from Instituto Nacional de Cancerología (the National Cancer Institute of Mexico) working alongside doctors at the UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, seeking breakthroughs in treatment and research. Hundreds of miles to the west, I see young Mexican scholars, full of promise, making their way across the Paso del Norte Bridge, part of their daily commute to and from the United States and UT El Paso. And all across our state, I see Mexican American students making our campuses smarter, more vibrant, more interesting places.

Each and every one of our universities and health institutions benefits from our proximity to and relationship with Mexico 

It shouldn’t need to be said, but given what we’ve seen in the press the last couple months, I want to emphasize – in the strongest possible terms – that each and every one of our universities and health institutions benefits from our proximity to and relationship with Mexico. And the same can be said of Texas itself.

The strong and dynamic relationship between our two countries is already woven into the fabric of the UT System. Across our institutions, important cross-border collaborations are already taking place. But we can do more – and with the new CONACYT partnership in place, we will do more.

Cross-border collaboration – and not just with Mexico, I should add – is absolutely vital to the future of the UT System. From astronomy to cancer to cybersecurity, the men and women of our academic and health institutions are seeking answers to the world’s biggest questions, and attacking some of its toughest challenges head on. The more we engage with our neighbors – the more perspectives and points of view we bring to bear – the more likely we will be to find the answers and solutions we seek.

I know this is an exciting, and perhaps even hectic, time for many of you.  I hope you’re as excited about the new school year, and all the challenges and opportunities it will bring, as I am.

Thanks for taking the time to read.  Have a great weekend, and I’ll write again soon.