"SAN ANTONIO, Texas – The president of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) called for new commitments to cross-border cooperation upon his return from the installation of a new council for Mexicans living abroad by President Vicente Fox of Mexico.
HACU President and CEO Antonio R. Flores met with Mexico’s President, Vicente Fox, and other Mexican and U.S. dignitaries at the installation ceremony in Mexico City on Tuesday, August 6, of Mexico’s new National Council for Mexican Communities Living Abroad. President Fox heads the Cabinet-level agency, which will address issues and potential government policies involving Mexicans living abroad.
“In this global economy, agencies such as Mexico’s newly created National Council for Mexican Communities Living Abroad should inspire all of us on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border to forge stronger partnerships and a new, bolder commitment to cross-border cooperation in education and economic development,” Flores said upon his return to HACU national headquarters in San Antonio, Texas.
“Certainly, both of our economies benefit from the productivity and potential of the more than 8 million Mexican immigrants who are living and working in the United States. Mexico alone benefits from an estimated $10 billion sent home to Mexico each year by the estimated 25 million Mexicans who live abroad,” Flores said.
Many of HACU’s more than 330 member and partner colleges and universities are located in communities with fast-growing Mexican immigrant populations. HACU also boasts an international membership that includes 18 flagship universities in Mexico. HACU member higher education institutions on both sides of the border have developed expanding faculty and student exchanges, as well as innovative cross-border research initiatives and academic programs in recent years.
“Education remains essential to the success of any economic development policies on either side of the border in this high-skills world of work. HACU member and partner colleges and universities have been at the forefront of efforts to bridge national borders with higher education initiatives that encourage diversity and advanced skills for all students – domestic and international,” Flores said.
HACU is urging Congress to endorse the proposed Border Commuter Student Act, which would allow Mexican and Canadian students living near the U.S. border to continue commuting to U.S. colleges and vocational schools each day to attend part-time classes.
The Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) had announced plans to begin enforcing a law already on the books, but not enforced, that would effectively prevent potentially thousands of these students already enrolled part-time from attending classes after December 31, 2002. To counter this plan, bills were introduced in the House and Senate to create a new non-immigrant classification for these part-time students. HACU and other allies are urging Congress to pass these bills before the December holiday break.
“The Border Commuter Student Act is a smart, fair solution to this threat to no longer allow border residents who already legally cross our borders to shop and do business to also attend part-time classes at our higher education institutions before returning home at night,” Flores said. “Obviously, this bill is of great benefit to our U.S. higher education institutions near the U.S.-Mexico border.”
While in Mexico City, Flores invited Mexico’s President Fox and other dignitaries attending the first meeting of the National Council of Mexican Communities Abroad to attend HACU’s 5th International Conference in Guadalajara, Mexico, in July 2003. Cross-border cooperation will be a key focus of the international platform for education and economic development programs and policies.
Cross-border issues will also be a focus at special international plenary sessions at HACU’s 16th Annual Conference October 26-29, 2002, in Denver, Colorado, which will attract Hispanic higher education leaders from throughout the Americas.
For more information, call (210) 692-3805. Ext. 3214. Or visit www.hacu.net. "
HACU President and CEO Antonio R. Flores met with Mexico’s President, Vicente Fox, and other Mexican and U.S. dignitaries at the installation ceremony in Mexico City on Tuesday, August 6, of Mexico’s new National Council for Mexican Communities Living Abroad. President Fox heads the Cabinet-level agency, which will address issues and potential government policies involving Mexicans living abroad.
“In this global economy, agencies such as Mexico’s newly created National Council for Mexican Communities Living Abroad should inspire all of us on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border to forge stronger partnerships and a new, bolder commitment to cross-border cooperation in education and economic development,” Flores said upon his return to HACU national headquarters in San Antonio, Texas.
“Certainly, both of our economies benefit from the productivity and potential of the more than 8 million Mexican immigrants who are living and working in the United States. Mexico alone benefits from an estimated $10 billion sent home to Mexico each year by the estimated 25 million Mexicans who live abroad,” Flores said.
Many of HACU’s more than 330 member and partner colleges and universities are located in communities with fast-growing Mexican immigrant populations. HACU also boasts an international membership that includes 18 flagship universities in Mexico. HACU member higher education institutions on both sides of the border have developed expanding faculty and student exchanges, as well as innovative cross-border research initiatives and academic programs in recent years.
“Education remains essential to the success of any economic development policies on either side of the border in this high-skills world of work. HACU member and partner colleges and universities have been at the forefront of efforts to bridge national borders with higher education initiatives that encourage diversity and advanced skills for all students – domestic and international,” Flores said.
HACU is urging Congress to endorse the proposed Border Commuter Student Act, which would allow Mexican and Canadian students living near the U.S. border to continue commuting to U.S. colleges and vocational schools each day to attend part-time classes.
The Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) had announced plans to begin enforcing a law already on the books, but not enforced, that would effectively prevent potentially thousands of these students already enrolled part-time from attending classes after December 31, 2002. To counter this plan, bills were introduced in the House and Senate to create a new non-immigrant classification for these part-time students. HACU and other allies are urging Congress to pass these bills before the December holiday break.
“The Border Commuter Student Act is a smart, fair solution to this threat to no longer allow border residents who already legally cross our borders to shop and do business to also attend part-time classes at our higher education institutions before returning home at night,” Flores said. “Obviously, this bill is of great benefit to our U.S. higher education institutions near the U.S.-Mexico border.”
While in Mexico City, Flores invited Mexico’s President Fox and other dignitaries attending the first meeting of the National Council of Mexican Communities Abroad to attend HACU’s 5th International Conference in Guadalajara, Mexico, in July 2003. Cross-border cooperation will be a key focus of the international platform for education and economic development programs and policies.
Cross-border issues will also be a focus at special international plenary sessions at HACU’s 16th Annual Conference October 26-29, 2002, in Denver, Colorado, which will attract Hispanic higher education leaders from throughout the Americas.
For more information, call (210) 692-3805. Ext. 3214. Or visit www.hacu.net. "