December 6, 2013

VCU Hosts Visit from Embassy of Mexico

By: V. Renee Russell
Global Education Office
(804) 828-3636
vrrussell@vcu.edu

Richmond, Va. (Dec. 6, 2013)—Consul Anibal Gomez Toledo, Head of the Consular Office of the Embassy of Mexico in Washington, DC visited Virginia Commonwealth University to discuss opportunities for collaboration in higher education between Mexico and the U.S. on December 6.

“There are many industries in which we can increase U.S-Mexico relations, but there is a true window of opportunity in education,” Gomez said.

During his visit with leaders in the Global Education Office, the group discussed the potential for increasing student exchange through the current VCU partnership with the University of Guadalajara and through its membership in the International Student Exchange Program.

The group also explored possibilities for expanding VCU’s collaboration with other Mexican universities through student and faculty exchanges, as well as increasing VCU student involvement with the Richmond’s Mexican community through programs such as the mobile Mexican consulate.

In May of this year, the Presidents of Mexico, Enrique Peña Nieto, and the United States, Barack Obama, announced the formation of the Bilateral Forum on Higher Education, Innovation and Research. The mission of the Forum is to foster the mutual understanding between both countries through programs addressing student mobility, academic exchange, research and innovation in areas of shared interest and to contribute to the competitiveness and economic development of the region.

The forum seeks to have 100,000 Mexican students study in the United States, and 50,000 U.S. students study in Mexico by 2018.