Published: September 08, 2006 11:46 am         

OSU opens Mexico offices

• David Schmidly, OSU president takes initiative to expand on OSU’s academic horizons with a new Mexican Liaison Office

(PUEBLA, MEXICO) -- In an effort to expand learning and student exchange between Oklahoma and Mexico, Oklahoma State University has joined with two major Mexico universities to open liaison offices in Puebla.

The Universidad de las Americas (UDLA) and the Universidad Popular Autonoma del Estado de Puebla (UPAEP) are partnering with OSU to launch the OSU Mexico Liaison Office. OSU is hosting a reception today in Puebla to celebrate the opening of the office.

“It is our hope this office will not only help in the recruitment of students to Oklahoma and OSU but also develop and support expanded cultural and business exchanges between Mexico, the OSU System and the state of Oklahoma,” said David Schmidly, OSU System CEO and President.

The office is the brainchild of Schmidly, who has done extensive research in Mexico.

In fact, a species of deer mouse -- the Peromyscus schmidly, which is found in the pine oak forests of the Sierra Madre Occidental Mountains in west central Mexico – was named after the OSU President.

“Mexico is a special place and it is important for OSU to have a presence there,” Schmidly said.

“We are excited about this opportunity to partner with our neighbors to facilitate and expand ongoing relationships, as well as develop new programs, partnerships and exchanges between OSU and Mexico.”

The Universidad de las Americas and the Universidad Popular Autonoma del Estado de Puebla will each provide office space and extensive administration support for the offices, which will be run by Jose Sagarnaga, who earned a Masters of Science in International Studies at Oklahoma State University.

“We are very proud of our association with OSU,” said Pedro Angel Palou, President of UDLA.

“The presence of the OSU office in the campus of the University of the Americas Puebla is a symbol of our joint commitment to strengthening cooperation among our institutions.

There is a lot to gain from Dr. Schmidly’s initiative to bring OSU closer to our part of the world.”

The OSU-UPAEP alliance, initiated in 2002, has already rendered excellent results, such as academic exchanges, a business incubator and the creation of 19 Dual Master’s Degree Programs.

With this new office and according to UPAEP’s Vision 2015, the academic, cultural and business possibilities will expand to benefit Puebla and Oklahoma society, and in general for both our countries, said Dr. Alfredo Miranda López, President of UPAEP.

In addition to representatives from UDLA, UPAEP and OSU, representatives from other OSU partner universities across Mexico,

Mexican state government and Puebla city officials as well as representatives of the U.S. Embassy in Mexico are expected to attend the opening of the office.

     

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