Rebuilding our binational ties and strategic relationship with Mexico

Between October 24 and 26, I traveled to Mexico City and the City of León, in central Mexico, as part of a delegation with the City of Tucson, Chicanos Por La Causa, Visit Tucson, the Mexican Consulate in Tucson, and Start Up Tucson. As I mentioned in an earlier post, the highlight of our mission was a meeting with the former President of Mexico, Vicente Fox, who hosted us in his Foundation, Centro Fox.

Additionally, we had other high-level meetings with government officials that I would like to underscore.

The first day of our mission, we met with the Undersecretary for Higher Education of the Ministry of Education (SEP), Dr. Salvador Jara, and with the national CEO for public polytechnic universities, Héctor Arreola (also under SEP). The two men have supported Pima’s partnerships with Mexican educational institutions and have funded several groups of students who have come to PCC to study short term programs. The Ministry of Education has developed a new technical higher education model that emphasizes bilingualism, internationalization and sustainability, making PCC a partner in the United States. Mexico is now one of the world’s top countries for graduates in engineering, manufacturing and construction (more than Canada, Germany, or France), while total university enrollment has tripled in 30 years to almost three million students. Dr. Jara and Mr. Arreola were awarded the United States-Mexico Friendship Commendation, a recognition from the City of Tucson and Pima Community College, for advancing our binational links. We discussed the possibility of developing study abroad programs for PCC students who are interested in learning or improving their Spanish, Faculty-led programs, and dual degrees. See Undersecretary Jara’s Tweet

From left to right: Emilio Gaynor, Director of International Development, Chicanos Por La Causa (CPLC); David Adame President & CEO of CPLC; Ricardo Castro-Salazar; PCC’s VP for International Development; Salvador Jara, Undersecretary for Higher Education of Mexico; Jonathan Rothschild, Mayor of Tucson; Lee Lambert, PCC Chancellor; and Héctor Arreola, National CEO for Public Polytechnic Universities of Mexico.

 

Mayor Rothschild, Consul Pineda, and I also had a private meeting with Paulo Carreño, the Undersecretary for North America of the Ministry of Foreign Relations, who emphasized the strategic relationship that Mexico and the United States have in the global arena. The Ministry, through its Institute for Mexicans Abroad (IME), has awarded PCC scholarship grants for $116,000.00, which have helped many of our students with financial need. Furthermore, with the support of Consul Pineda, PCC has obtained scholarship funds from the private organization Juntos Podemos in the amount of $64,000.00. Ricardo Castro-Salazar, PCC’s Vice President for International Development, has been External Advisor to the Mexican Government through IME and has worked closely with the Mexican Consul to win these grants. This has given Pima a prominent position among US community colleges and a unique relationship with Mexican institutions. We expect to win additional grants in the coming months.

The same morning, we had the opportunity to have a conversation with Dr. Martha Navarro, CEO of the Mexican Agency for International Cooperation and Development. She is also the head of Proyecta 100,000, the Mexican counterpart of the 100,000 Strong in the Americas Initiative by Presidents Obama and Peña. Proyecta has funded thousands of scholarships for Mexican students to attend US educational institutions, including several groups of students who have attended Pima College. Dr. Navarro reiterated the Mexican government’s approach to US-Mexico collaboration, as complementary partners in the global arena, where Mexico could become the sixth largest economy in the world by the year 2050. She also received a formal recognition from Mayor Rothschild and myself for advancing educational diplomacy and binational friendship.

Our fourth and final recognition was given to a great friend of Pima College, Ms. Maggie Suárez, who has been instrumental for our participation in the prestigious SEP-Bécalos-Santander international program. PCC is one of only five community colleges in the US participating in the program, through which we have hosted 177 international students since fall 2014. The program is possible through a partnership between the Mexican Ministry of Education, Televisa Foundation, and Santander Bank. Televisa is the largest telecommunications conglomerate in the Spanish-speaking world and Ms. Suárez is the head of educational programs for its foundation. Ms. Suárez let me know that Televisa Foundation was working on the creation of new international educational programs and she wants PCC to be part of them. This fall, PCC was selected to host 70 scholarship holders from 13 different universities in Mexico. Although one student could not make it, this is the largest cohort we have hosted, confirming our strengthening partnership.

University of Guanajuato, Mexico

In the evening, we took a plane to the City of León, a rapidly developing city with an extensive automotive cluster in the State of Guanajuato, where President Fox’s Foundation is located. On Tuesday, we would visit Centro Fox, learn about the region’s opportunities, and meet with President Fox. Dr. Ian Roark, PCC’s Vice President for Workforce Development, is working in collaboration with Martha Beltran, CEO of the Academic and Research Center at Centro Fox, exploring potential partnerships with PCC.

• Former Mexican president joins Tucson bid to expand cross-border business: http://tucson.com/business/tucson/former-mexican-president-joins-tucson-bid-to-expand-cross-border/article_f93db4bb-d527-5039-9cc8-7db24fb14284.html
• Tucson leaders, former Mexican president to collaborate: http://www.tulsaworld.com/tucson-leaders-former-mexican-president-to-collaborate/article_85a9e519-75ee-5e1a-8d1b-7b5bf9085570.html
• Mexico may send more students to Pima College, University of Arizona: http://tucson.com/business/national-and-international/mexico-could-send-more-students-to-pima-college-university-of/article_74964fe8-5ac7-59f3-b27f-f1fd11c49e68.html
• The growing demand for English language learning in Mexico: http://monitor.icef.com/2016/03/the-growing-demand-for-english-language-learning-in-mexico/

 

On Wednesday 26^th, we met with Ricardo Mújica, the CEO of the Slim Foundation. Carlos Slim, considered the richest man in the world, has funded numerous cultural and educational projects throughout Mexico. His Foundation’s philosophy is based on Mr. Slim’s premise that philanthropic organizations do not solve poverty and other world challenges, but knowledge does. Thus, it focuses on educational and healthcare initiatives. Fundación Slim is a 30-year old institution with an endowment of $5.5 billion. We learned about the Foundation’s free online educational platform: Aprende.org, aimed at expanding opportunities to anyone with a smartphone and an internet connection.

Left, Chancellor Lambert and VP Roark at Plaza Carso, in Mexico City, where Slim Foundation is located.

Our last meeting was with Ms. Rebecca Thompson, Cultural Affairs Officer at the US Embassy in Mexico, as well as Nathalie Scharf and Martha Sánchez from the US Commercial Service. In the past two years, PCC has developed a strong relationship with the Department of State and the US Embassy in Mexico. The Embassy has supported PCC’s programs with Mexico by subsidizing visas for scholarship holders and providing resources toward the 100,000 Strong in the Americas Initiative. Ms. Thompson was enthusiastic about our meeting and has connected PCC with new institutions who want to work with US colleges.

At the end of this intense work agenda, I was pleased to learn that our relationship with Mexico is now acknowledged by numerous institutions and organizations in this vast nation, which is Arizona’s number one commercial partner and one of Tucson’s main sources of tourism and foreign spending. PCC is now recognized in many regions across this country and I was proud to hear this not just from one, but from three different sources at our meetings with the Mexican Ministry of Education, the Slim Foundation, and US Embassy in Mexico. Thanks to this recognition, we have received grants from the US Department of State, the Mexican Ministry of Foreign Relations, and a private international donor. As expressed by Ms. Thompson, from the US Embassy, “Pima is one of our star colleges in Mexico.”

Representatives from the US Embassy and the US Commercial Service in Mexico.

Reviving our international program

I am excited to share Pima’s progress on internationalization. Under the leadership of  Dr. Ricardo Castro-Salazar, Acting Vice President for International Development,  and the tremendous support of our faculty, staff and community, Pima has laid the groundwork for a revived international program.

It is becoming increasingly obvious that in the 21st century, the world’s political, economic and environmental challenges cannot be solved by one country, and must be met by a multinational, cross-cultural response. I am proud to say that PCC is meeting that challenge, as the information below clearly demonstrates.

Pima Community College International Development

February 17, 2016

• We have a Strategic Plan for Internationalization with seven strategic goals and 70 objectives. The plan was the work of a Task Force of 84 people that not only had district-wide representation (faculty, staff and administrators), but also community members, foreign representatives in our community, representatives from the Mayor’s Office, County Government, and students.
• Created the American Institute of Language and Culture at Pima (AILAC). Will offer the first ESL package for int’l students in Summer 2016. This will also help our local enrollments
• We have worked with the Tucson City Government and the Pima County Administrator to align our int’l objectives for Pima County’s economic development
• PCC offers 132 courses with “Global” and “Cultural Diversity” content. Nevertheless, despite the guidelines and recommendations from the HLC, AACC, ACCT, and others, PCC did not have a comprehensive global education plan before Chancellor Lambert.
• Francisca James Hernandez has represented the College at the Generation Study Abroad Summit and directs the development of Faculty-Led Study Abroad initiatives.
• One of our goals in PCC’s Diversity Plan is to “Increase global diversity and inclusion.” And one of our SLOs across all disciplines is to “appreciate cultural and global diversity” (PCC, Monitoring Report on the Assessment of Student Learning Outcomes to the HLC, 2013).
• PCC has now a Fulbright Representative (R. Castro-Salazar)

 

Fulbright Program & International Visitors

• DK Wu, Co-founder & Managing Director at CAACC (Chinese Association of American Community Colleges). Fulbright Outreach Lecturing Fund. Jan 22, 2016
• Reginald Oputa, Fulbright Scholar in Residence. Spring 2016.
• Ricardo Castro-Salazar has been selected as one of five US Fulbright Scholars to participate in the Community College Administrative Seminar in Russia in Apr 2016.
• Tucson-Korean Ambassador Program. 42 middle school students visited WC. Spring 2016
• Carl Bagley, Head of School of Education. Durham University, UK.
• Seung-Man Kang, Vice Dean, International Services Center, Chungbuk National University, Korea.
• Brazilian educators. 10 educators visited PCC & learned about our programs and int’l education opportunities. Fall 2015.
• President of Zhuhai City Polytechnic College, China. Jun 2015.
• President (Rector) of Instituto Tecnológico de Sonora (ITSON). IMOU, Mar 2015.

 

College Internationalization Survey

• 275 respondents, not including international team. 129 reported experience living or studying abroad and they speak 26 different languages.
• 145 respondents expressed interest in promoting PCC abroad.
• 31 faculty members who do not teach courses related to multicultural or international education but that incorporate these perspectives in their courses.
• 21 employees report experience coordinating or organizing study abroad programs.

 

International Enrollments:

• Growing, modestly, but continually in the midst of an overall College enrollment decline.
• Spring 2016: A total of 207 int’l students from 41 countries, compared to 202 in Spring 2015. We have enrolled 37 new F-1 students. Concurrent & Other Visa types declined, but we enrolled more F1s than in Spring 2015.
• Fall 2015: A total of 262 int’l students from 34 countries, compared to 246 in Fall 2014. We enrolled 53 new F-1 students. Fall enrollments include 59 J-1s Bécalos Program Participants in 2015 and 48 in 2014.
• Summer 2015: A total of 143 int’l students from 38 countries, compared to 96 in Summer 2014. This included 42 J-1 visa holders from 3 educational contracts.
• Spring 2015: A total of 202 int’l students, including 25 new F-1 visa holders.

 

PCC is the only community college designated as a J-1 sponsoring institution in AZ

• In Fall 2014, in recognition of PCC’s participation in the 100,000 Strong in the Americas Initiative, the US State Department and the US Embassy in Mexico sponsored J-1 visas for 49 international students attending PCC.
• In March 2015, PCC regained federal approval to sponsor J-1 visas. Between the summer and fall 2015, PCC enrolled an additional 98 students on J-1 visas.

 

International educational contracts have helped local enrollments

• A positive multiplying effect on overall enrollments. Classes where int’l students have enrolled have become more cost effective, or even feasible (avoiding cancellations). Furthermore, the classes added to our schedule for our international contracts have given our local students a number of additional options. These classes include: CIS121, CIS162, CIS281, MKT125, MKT139, DAR103, DAR176, TEC123, TEC123 LB, TEC225, TEC225 LB, TEC250, and TEC250LB.
• Our ESL Program also has benefitted from our international contracts and our ESL Faculty have received additional teaching contracts for the following courses: ENG260, ESL098T6, ESL098T7, ESL080GR, ESL085GR, LA079EI, and LA089EI.

 

Restoring our relationship with Mexico has helped our int’l and local enrollments

We have won two grants ($180,000.00) from the Mexican Government and the private organization Together We Can/Juntos Podemos. With these funds, we have provided 149 scholarships to deserving students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. These enrollments are very impactful because they help those who need the most support in our community. Some of our scholarship holders literally could not enroll without these resources.

 

International Memoranda of Understanding

• Fundación Televisa, Mexico
• Government of Ulleungdo, Republic of Korea
• Instituto Tecnológico de Sonora (ITSON), Mexico
• Ningbo City College of Vocational Technology, Ningbo China
• PPEP and Limbe Business College, Cameroon
• Zhuhai City Polytechnic College, Zhuhai China