A new initiative to promote academic collaboration between 12 UK and 12 Mexican universities was launched today (Sunday 29 November) at the Guadalajara International Book Fair in Mexico.
The Mexico-UK Visiting Chair Initiative will see senior figures from prestigious UK and Mexican universities spend up to two weeks each year working collaboratively to explore new and exciting links in research and teaching.
The UK universities in the initiative are Nottingham, King’s College London, Birmingham, Bristol, Durham, Edinburgh, Leeds, Manchester, Sheffield, Southampton, University College London and Warwick. Research collaboration will span the arts & humanities, social sciences, health and natural & mathematical sciences.
The Mexican Commission includes of Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Universidad de Guadalajara and Universidad de Guanajuato.
The venture was initially proposed by the Mexican Agency for International Development Cooperation (AMEXCID). A letter of intent to establish the Visiting Chair was signed during March 2015 in London, witnessed by the President of Mexico Enrique Peña Nieto.
Speaking on behalf of the UK Commission at the signing in Guadalajara Deborah Bull, Assistant Principal (Culture & Engagement), King’s College London said: “I am certain that this initiative will help the best UK universities build long term partnerships with our Mexican colleagues that will not only engage the academic community but also the student community. I know that the links and bonds formed by our academic communities will serve to further deepen close ties of friendship and cooperation between the UK and Mexico for many years to come.”
Neville Wylie, Associate Pro Vice Chancellor for Global Engagement, signed the agreement on behalf of The University of Nottingham. He said: “Nottingham’s selection for inclusion in this project reflects the strength of our reputation in Mexico, and amongst Mexican universities. We already enjoy a wide range of collaborations with universities across Mexico and benefit enormously from the contribution made by Mexican students to our academic activities and campus environment. I am delighted that Nottingham is a part of this ambitious project. We look forward to welcoming visiting Mexican academics to Nottingham over the coming years.”
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Notes to editors: The University of Nottingham has 43,000 students and is ‘the nearest Britain has to a truly global university, with a “distinct” approach to internationalisation, which rests on those full-scale campuses in China and Malaysia, as well as a large presence in its home city.’ (Times Good University Guide 2016). It is also one of the most popular universities in the UK among graduate employers and the winner of ‘Research Project of the Year’ at the Times Higher Education Awards 2014. It is ranked in the world’s top 75 by the QS World University Rankings 2015/16, and 8th in the UK by research power according to the Research Excellence Framework 2014. It has been voted the world’s greenest campus for three years running, according to Greenmetrics Ranking of World Universities.
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