SOCORRO, N.M. – New Mexico Tech President Stephen Wells signed a new memorandum of agreement with the Universidad Nacional de San Agustin in Arequipa, Peru, in late November.

The new pact marks the third such agreement with a Latin American university in 2018. Previous MOUs have been established with two universities in Mexico.

Wells said, “Anytime you can strengthen relationships and build diversity, you create lasting, professional bridges and we open up a new world of opportunities for our students to go overseas. Also, as a Hispanic-Serving Institution, it makes sense to grow our presence in Latin America.”

(Pictured at right are Michael Voegerl (from left) Dr. Navid Mojtabai, Dr. Lorie Liebrock, and Dr. Stephen Wells, all of NMT, and Dr. Rohel Sanchez Sanchez, Dr. Jose Luis Vargas Gutierrez, and Dr. Alejandro O. Silva Vela.)

Mineral engineering professor Dr. Navid Mojtabai accompanied Dr. Wells on the trip to develop collaborations in mining engineering. He and Graduate Dean Dr. Lorie Liebrock also met with a large group of students and educators with the Education USA group, which will facilitate student exchanges. Dr. Wells said each collaboration that NMT enters requires a “champion.” He said Mojtabai and his colleague Dr. Bill Chavez are the champions of collaborative work with mining programs in Latin America.

NMT has several collaborations with South American universities, including the Pontifica Universidad Catolica del Peru and the National University of Colombia. Mojtabai said this new MOU will open up new opportunities for research projects, faculty exchanges, student exchanges, and a joint master’s degree programs. UNSA has a strong program in mining and metallurgical engineering, which matches with a historical strength at NMT

“Mining is a logical place to start with collaborations because they are in a mining region,” Mojtabai said. “There’s a lot of interest from their students to come here for graduate school.”

Wells and Mojtabai toured three mines in Peru, along with NMT graduates who are working in the copper industry in Peru.

Mojtabai said the mineral engineering department has a diverse cohort of graduate students, representing Colombia, Peru, Brazil, Mexico, Honduras, Ghana, and Iran. He hopes to see more Latin American students come to NMT for graduate studies.

Dr. Juan de Dios Pineda is the Special Assistant to the VP of Research, Latin American Initiatives. This year, he has spearheaded three similar MOUs with university in Sonora, Puebla, and Guadalajara. He said the goal is to continue to form partnerships with more universities to give Tech students more opportunities to grow as scientists and as people.

“Students with more experiences with people from different countries have a better understanding of the world,” Pineda said. “If we have more students from Mexico and Latin America – or other countries – we will have a campus that is more diverse and a wider representation of values and experiences.”

Pineda has organized week-long courses for visiting students this year. He wants to expand the offerings to full semester courses, full-fledged exchanges, and dual degree programs in select departments. He said 15 students from Guadalajara are enrolling in the masters of science for teachers program in 2019. 

Wells said the new push to establish partnerships in Latin America fits perfectly with an agreement NMT signed with the Albuquerque Hispano Chamber of Commerce in June 2018.

New Mexico Tech launched its Research Office for Latin American Initiatives in January 2018, marking a first step towards growing opportunities. Wells said that initiative plays a vital role in developing relationships with international higher education institutions – and the Hispano Chamber is a key player in these endeavors.  Pineda hosted a delegation of 20 university officials in Albuquerque earlier this year and will continue to reach out to education and industry leaders in Mexico.

– NMT –