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“Nations that invest in education and an educated workforce are better prepared to compete in global markets,” said U.S. Ambassador Tony Garza. “These positive exchanges between the Universidad Veracruzana and American universities—made possible by the TIES Initiative—serve as the foundation for future relationships in the private and public sectors.”
On a visit to the Xalapa campus of the Universidad Veracruzana (UV), Ambassador Garza was welcomed by University Rector Dr. Víctor A. Arredondo. UV was recently selected as one of the 13 new TIES (Training, Internships, Exchanges and Scholarships) University Partnerships, and to date has received U.S. government funding through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) for three programs, totaling over USD$490,000.
University officials discussed with Ambassador Garza some of the results of the bilateral education projects:
With Maricopa Community College, 6,000 Veracruzana students are using a jointly developed HIV/AIDS manual and 3,00 students and local residents are enrolled in an outreach program to many of Veracruz’s poor.
A small business center, Centro Universitario de Servicio a la Empresa (CUSEM) at Universidad Veracruzana, was established with Maricopa Community College to promote competitiveness and environmental protection practices. CUSEM is used by regional entrepreneurs and students in business internships.
In partnership with the University of Georgia, a new social work curriculum has been developed, and the number of bilingual and culturally competent social workers has increased dramatically.
Over the course of the next six years, the United States government will provide a total of $35 million for TIES supporting at least 750 scholarships and 35 partnerships between Mexican and U.S. universities. TIES is a public-private alliance with collaborating partners contributing an additional $15 million to make the total investment $50 million dollars.
Presidents Bush and Fox announced the TIES Initiative to advance the objectives of the U.S.-Mexico Partnership for Prosperity in September 2001. The USAID office in Mexico implements the TIES initiative.
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