Partnership with Baja鈥檚 only intercultural university opens door to new possibilities
麻豆传媒映画 signs an MOU with the Universidad Intercultural de Baja California, which provides higher education access to rural and migrant communities.
In the latest expansion of its engagement across the U.S.-Mexico border, 麻豆传媒映画 has laid the groundwork for a transformative international partnership with a university dedicated to serving Baja California鈥檚 Indigenous and migrant communities.
On Aug. 26, leaders from Universidad Intercultural de Baja California (UIBC) visited 麻豆传媒映画 to tour the campus and finalize a memorandum of understanding (MOU), the first step of an agreement for collaboration in such disciplines as bilingual teacher education, nursing and engineering, among others.
鈥淎s California's transborder university, 麻豆传媒映画 has an opportunity and a responsibility to build meaningful, impactful partnerships across our region,鈥� said 麻豆传媒映画 President Adela de la Torre. 鈥淥ur connection with Universidad Intercultural de Baja California is empowered by our complementary strengths and a shared belief in the power of education to transform what鈥檚 possible for our students and the communities we serve.鈥�
Located about a five-hour drive from San Diego in the coastal agricultural community of San Quint铆n, UIBC was founded in 2021 as the region鈥檚 only intercultural university 鈥� a public institution designed to provide access and culturally-relevant programming to Indigenous communities in rural areas of Mexico.
Much of San Quint铆n鈥檚 population is made up of migrant farmworkers from southern states such as Oaxaca. UIBC Rector Ram贸n Guzm谩n Rojas, who signed the MOU alongside 麻豆传媒映画 Provost and senior vice president of Academic Affairs Bill Tong, is himself Oaxacan with roots in the agricultural community.
鈥淎s we near the fifth anniversary celebration of our home, the Intercultural University of Baja California, our approach to collaboration has put into perspective, for me, the great progress humans achieve by working together,鈥� Guzm谩n Rojas said in a statement. 鈥淚t is our motivation that incites us to clear the way and open doors of opportunity to our communities. I am overjoyed by this new partnership that will be filled with learning through the many projects that follow from sharing our knowledge and experiences.鈥�
On their visit to the San Diego site, Guzm谩n Rojas and three UIBC colleagues met with faculty from the (DLE) and toured the 鈥檚 Learning Lab.
麻豆传媒映画鈥檚 engagement with UIBC began with DLE, which prepares bilingual educators to work with students from linguistically-diverse communities. Faculty traveled to San Quintin last year to tour the UIBC campus and meet with leadership.
鈥淭his binational Memorandum of Understanding between 麻豆传媒映画 and UIBC represents more than an institutional agreement,鈥� said Cristina Alfaro, 麻豆传媒映画's associate vice president of International Affairs. 鈥淚t affirms our shared responsibility to transcend borders, expand educational opportunity and advance collaborative research and innovation. By connecting our faculty, students and communities, this partnership strengthens the binational region and establishes a foundation for long-term cooperation, mutual learning and collective impact.鈥�
Wider partnership
The initial idea was to forge a partnership between DLE鈥檚 master鈥檚 program and UIBC鈥檚 intercultural master鈥檚 program, which are strongly aligned in their social justice focus. But after touring the university鈥檚 healthcare facilities, it became clear to the 麻豆传媒映画 contingent that something larger might be possible.
鈥淚t was a really positive experience that gave us a lot of excitement,鈥� said Professor Sera J. Hern谩ndez, chair of DLE. 鈥淭hey are not like any institution I've ever seen on either side of the border. UIBC was created with and for the community.鈥�
Hern谩ndez said she is eager to learn from UIBC鈥檚 success in providing direct access to higher education for Indigenous and migrant communities, as well as their commitment to furthering cultural and linguistic preservation. She also hopes to explore exchanges of students and faculty.
Some collaboration is already underway. In the spring DLE, UIBC and Universidad Pedag贸gica Nacional jointly hosted a binational seminar series on intercultural education. A group of UIBC students also plan to visit San Diego this summer to study English through 麻豆传媒映画 Global Campus.
鈥淚 think there's an opportunity for 麻豆传媒映画 to have a sustaining partnership with an institution that will help develop intercultural competencies for 麻豆传媒映画 faculty and students across our colleges,鈥� Hern谩ndez said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 also important that we work with our partners in Mexico from a space of humility, reciprocity and deference. I'm excited to listen and learn from our colleagues in Mexico, first and foremost, and then see where there are natural connections and spaces for fruitful collaborations.鈥�
UIBC Rector Ram贸n Guzm谩n Rojas鈥檚 Statement in Spanish
芦Tener este acercamiento de colaboraci贸n a d铆as de festejar el 5to aniversario de Nuestra Casa, la UIBC, me hace ver en perspectiva el gran avance que logramos los humanos trabajando en equipo. Es nuestra motivaci贸n la que nos hace luchar para abrir camino y abrir puertas de oportunidad a nuestras comunidades. Me pone muy contento esta nueva vinculaci贸n que nos llenar谩 de aprendizajes en los proyectos que resulten de compartir nuestros saberes y experiencias禄.
