UT System and Mexican technology council form partnership

UTSA President Ricardo Romo, UT System Chancellor William H. McRaven, CONACYT Director Enrique Cabrero.

(Aug. 26, 2015) -- The University of Texas System took yet another important step in establishing and enhancing ties with Mexico as UT System and Mexico's National Council of Science and Technology formed a partnership to develop new academic and research programs.

UT System Chancellor William H. McRaven officially signed a memorandum of understanding with the council — also known as CONACYT — at a ceremony at UTSA. The agreement provides a legal framework for the System's 14 institutions to collaborate with CONACYT to develop a wide variety of STEM-related research and academic programs for faculty and students. Several UT System institutions currently have existing relationships with CONACYT for research collaboration and graduate student funding.

"Mexico is more than just our friend," McRaven said. "Each one of our academic and health institutions benefits from our proximity to and relationship with Mexico, and the same can be said of Texas itself. Our partnership with CONACYT is essential to building a knowledge exchange to make new discoveries in science, health care and technology."

The agreement will enable joint academic programs to be developed in STEM fields such as applied math and modeling; biology and chemistry; biochemistry and agricultural sciences, earth, coastal and marine sciences; energy; environment; industrial manufacturing technologies; information technology and telecommunications; materials; medicine and health; nanotechnology; and space sciences and technologies.

"I think this agreement provides wonderful research opportunities in many critical and exciting areas, including space technology, the Gulf of Mexico's coastal environment, medicine and health at the border, and promoting economic development," said Randy Charbeneau, UT System's assistant vice chancellor for research. "It gives the UT System international relationships south of the border."

The System and CONACYT will also organize missions for professors, students and professionals to work on mutual projects; develop workshops, conferences and seminars focusing on common areas; and exchange, as appropriate, scientific and technological information.

"Knowledge is global," said Enrique Cabrero, director of CONACYT. "The signing of this memorandum represents an important step in new areas of true cooperation."

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About The University of Texas System
Educating students, providing care for patients, conducting groundbreaking basic, applied and clinical research and serving the needs of Texans and the nation for more than 130 years, The University of Texas System is one of the largest public university systems in the United States. With nine academic universities, six health institutions and an enrollment of more than 217,000, the UT System confers more than one-third of the state's undergraduate degrees, educates almost two-thirds of the state's health care professionals annually and accounts for almost 70 percent of all research funds awarded to public institutions in Texas. The UT System has an annual operating budget of $15.6 billion (FY 2015) including $3 billion in sponsored programs funded by federal, state, local and private sources. With about 20,000 faculty – including Nobel laureates – and more than 70,000 health care professionals, researchers, student advisors and support staff, the UT System is one of the largest employers in the state.

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