::Provost David Kline Steps Up
::Ellis F. White and First Faculty Scholarship Endowment
::UNAM agreement expands international presence
::Chartwell's awarded new food service contract

August 2002

UNF enters into agreement with Mexican university

National Autonomous University of Mexico

As UNF continues to expand its international horizon, a recent agreement with the premier Mexican university promises to yield benefits for students, faculty and the community.

UNF has joined with the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) for cultural, educational and scientific cooperation between the two institutions. Although the agreement is in its infancy, there is no shortage of ideas on how UNF will benefit from the partnership as the relationship matures.

Faculty and student exchanges are one of the primary programs to be pursued. However, consideration is also being given to establishment of a cultural exchange based at UNF's new Fine Arts Center as well as joint research initiatives.

Interim President and Provost Dr. A. David Kline, who recently visited Mexico with Student Affairs Vice President Dr. Mauricio Gonzalez, said the agreement is important because UNF has chosen to emphasize international aspects of the curriculum and conduct research on international topics.

"Our agreement with UNAM will further our interest in exchanges for our students and faculty. It may also lead to exchanges between some of our arts programs. Clearly we needed to strengthen our opportunities in Mexico. We have done that," Kline said.
The idea for the partnership originated with Gonzalez who has a number of colleagues at the Mexican university from the days he studied in the country. "In light of our growing Hispanic student population and interest in international education, it made sense to me that we initiate such a relationship," he noted.

A preliminary trip last year included Gonzalez, Arts & Sciences Dean Mark Workman and Business Administration Dean Earle Traynham. Because the UNAM officials were so receptive to the partnership, Gonzalez and Kline completed a second trip in June during which the agreement was finalized.

Perhaps no one is more excited about the possibilities than Sharon Papian, executive director of the UNF Fine Arts Center.

"The potential for interaction between the UNF Fine Arts Center and UNAM in an exchange of outstanding cultural programs by established world class artists and students sets the imagination reeling with ideas. It's an opportunity to create a world stage showcasing the performing, visual and literary arts, and exploring cultural ideas across all disciplines to involve and integrate both universities and resident communities in enriching experiences," she said.

The relationship with UNAM is only the latest in a series of international programs at UNF. COBA has sponsored a highly successful exchange program with Universite de Provence in France and the Fachhochshule in Germany. The College of Education has programs in Belize and UNF hosts the Florida West African Institute (FLAWI).

Traynham said COBA is looking forward to establishing partnerships for students and faculty. "They have an excellent business school and present many excellent opportunities for our faculty and students to learn more about Mexico and doing business there," he said.

Workman echoed those comments. "Given its location, size and breadth, UNAM provides an ideal place for our students to study all aspects of Latin American history, politics and culture. UNAM also possess world-class scientific facilities that might be of interest to our students," he noted.

Workman noted that the director of the UNAM's Center for Ecological Research is a University of Florida graduate who maintains an active interest in the ecology of the state. "He is quite eager to establish exchange relationships with students and faculty in our Department of Biology," he said.

UNAM is not only the oldest but also the largest educational institution in Mexico. UNAM offers high school, technical, undergraduate and graduate programs. Of its 250,000 students, about 132,000 are enrolled in undergraduate programs and about 17,000 in graduate programs. Among its alumni are the three Mexicans honored with the Nobel Prize. It has a teaching staff of more than 36,000 including nearly 5,000 tenure-track professors and 2,000 researchers. The university is one of the three oldest in the Americas with origins dating back to 1551. It was officially re-founded as the National University of Mexico in 1910.