When a group of faculty members and students from Universidad Tecnológico de Hermosillo (UTH) in Hermosillo, Mexico, came to Northern Arizona University, they spent some time with NAU President Rita Cheng to discuss issues that affect both universities. The delegation was on campus for educational exchange and meetings designed to further the collaboration within engineering and hospitality. Ten UTH faculty plan to visit NAU this summer as part of a hybrid online/in-person faculty training program for UTH faculty. NAU students will be heading to Hermosillo this summer as well.
UTH is a partner university with NAU, a relationship made official when Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey and Sonoran Gov. Claudia Pavlovich signed an agreement at the Arizona-Mexico Commission meeting in Puerto Peñasco, Mexico. The partnership is part of NAU’s strategic plan to expand relationships into Mexico and throughout Latin America.
NAU already has partnerships and study-abroad programs with universities throughout Mexico, particularly in Sonora, which borders Arizona. This partnership will include exchange programs and opportunities for faculty training and development. Eventually, there will be research collaborations as well, said Daniel Palm, associate vice president for global initiatives, but that has yet to be defined.