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The University of New Mexico

NEWS RELEASE



Media Contact: Laurie Mellas, 277-5915, lmellas@unm.edu

April 24, 2007

Mexican, Other Latin American VIPs Visit UNM to Take Seminar and to Discuss Exchanges and Academic Programs

During the week of April 23-27, international VIPs are at the University of New Mexico to discuss faculty and student exchanges between their schools and UNM, announced Eliseo “Cheo” Torres, vice president for Student Affairs. The leaders are also at UNM to discuss international bridge programs designed to help students from Mexico and other Latin American countries matriculate to college and successfully navigate their way through American higher education.

The VIPs are actually visiting in two groups, Torres said. One group of about 20 university presidents is here to take a course in Public Administration, Education, and Leadership. The Division of Student Affairs and the College of Education’s Language, Literacy, and Sociocultural Studies Department are collaborating to offer this seminar to the international visitors.

On Thursday, April 26 and Friday, April 27, a second group of university administrators, presidents and state officials from Latin America will arrive. They represent about 40 different universities and colleges in Colombia, Costa Rica, and Paraguay, in addition to Mexican universities in Chihuahua, Jalisco, Estado de Mexico, Morelos and Nuevo Leon. This group will also include the former national minister of education for Mexico, Dr. Reyes Tamez Guerra, who is currently the secretary of education for the state of Nuevo Leon.

Jointly, the groups will learn about existing academic exchange programs, discuss new programs, and talk to UNM faculty, students and administrators about UNM programs that may interest Latin American students.

VIPs travel to Santa Fe on Wednesday, April 25, to meet with New Mexico public officials. On Friday, the groups will honor State Senator Shannon Robinson for helping to facilitate Latin American recruitment at UNM. The ceremony honoring Sen. Robinson, who represents District 17 in Albuquerque, will take place from 1- 2:30 p.m. at the Student Union Building, ballroom A. Immediately following this event, another ceremony will be held at which UNM officials and Latin American administrators will sign memoranda of agreement concerning future international bridge programs and exchanges.

“These visits by university administrators and government education officials are very beneficial to UNM,” Torres said. “They help us to recruit top students from Latin America and raise our profile internationally. Over time, these programs will bear more and more rewards for us. UNM will become a destination of choice for the best and brightest Latin American students seeking an education in the U.S.”

For more information about the the international VIP visits, please contact Eliseo “Cheo” Torres, UNM vice president for Student Affairs, at 505-277-0952, or at cheo@unm.edu .

 

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