Officials from Texas A&M University-Texarkana today signed a cooperative agreement for international studies opportunities with the Universidad de la Salle-Pachuca, Mexico.
Dr. Emily Cutrer, president of A&M-Texarkana, and Dr. Maria de Lourdes Lavaniegos Gonzalez, president of the Universidad de La Salle-Pachuca, Mexico, represented their respective institutions at the signing ceremony.
Others attending included Mike Malone, president and CEO of the Texarkana Chamber of Commerce; Dr. Rosanne Stripling, provost at A&M-Texarkana; Rodolfo Arteaga Rivemar, liaison director with the Universidad de la Salle-Pachuca; Laura Angelica Martinez Rodriguez with the International Office of Universidad de La Salle-Pachuca; faculty, staff and students from A&M-Texarkana; and community members.
“A&M-Texarkana and ULSA-Pachuca desire to establish certain collaborative programs beneficial to the respective universities and to promote the development of joint programs, training, exchange, research activities and other educational programs of mutual interest,” said Dr. Luz Mary Rincon, interim director of international studies at A&M-Texarkana.
“A&M-Texarkana and ULSA-Pachuca believe that international understanding and educational opportunities of their students and faculty would be enhanced by international academic cooperation,” added Dr. Rincon.
The cooperative agreement seeks to open opportunities for short and/or long-term student exchange/study abroad, faculty exchange, and collaborative research with Latin American higher education institutions.
The signing of this agreement represented a solid first step in a long term relationship between A&M-Texarkana and Universidad de la Salle-Pachuca.
Through this agreement students will be given the opportunity to experience diverse cultures and languages. “It’s a wonderful time for us because we really believe it is important for our students to work with and meet people from other countries,” said Dr. Emily Cutrer moments before the signing of the documents.
Dr. Cutrer expressed her gratitude and the the importance of working closely with Universidad la Salle-Pachuca, going on to say this agreement will only “move students and the institution forward.”
This October, the first group of students from A&M-Texarkana will be studying abroad at Universidad de la Salle-Pachucha. “These first group of Education students will be coming to Pachuca to do different types of practice and observations in different schools of the region. This will also allow an opportunity for them to learn different levels and structures of education as they will visit school with advanced resources as well as smaller schools with less resources,” said Dr. Maria de Lourdes Lavaniegos Gonzalez, president of the Universidad de La Salle-Pachuca, Mexico.
