UC-Mexico Initiative to foster educational relationship

University of California President Janet Napolitano signed a memorandum of understanding with Mexican government officials and various academic institutions Wednesday to foster a stronger relationship between the UC system and the Mexican educational system.

The memorandum is part of a broader UC-Mexico initiative President Napolitano advanced Wednesday during meetings with Mexican officials and academics, which will continue to take place in Mexico City over the next two days. The memorandum includes development of programs for student, faculty and researcher exchanges between UC and Mexican universities and research centers.

The initiative is intended to expand and strengthen the academic partnerships that have existed between the UC and Mexico in the past by uniting them under one framework, said Dianne Klein, a spokeswoman for the UC. The initiative will mainly include research exchanges between the UC and Mexican educational systems.

UCLA has had some ties with Mexico. Edward Leamer, director of the UCLA Anderson Forecast, represented UCLA when he traveled with Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti to Mexico to promote trade between Mexico and Los Angeles.

Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnologia, also known as CONACYT, is a Mexican governmental organization that deals with cultural and scientific matters. CONACYT is one of the principal institutions President Napolitano met with Wednesday.

“UC’s many and varied partnerships, exchanges and collaborations with Mexico are integral to bettering lives on both sides of our national border,” Napolitano said in a press release. “This trip is a testament to the strength of our relationship with Mexico.”