Tec is new Executive Committee member of U21 university network

Tec de Monterrey has been invited to be a member of the Executive Committee of Universitas 21, an international network of 28 leading universities. It will be represented by David Garza, rector and president of the institution.

“It’s an honor to form part of the Executive Committee of an organization as prestigious as U21, a global network of 28 leading universities, and to have a seat at the table with universities such as USingapore, UEdinburgh, UQueensland, KULeuven, UBirmingham, UNottingham, and UC Davis,” said Garza.

According to Garza, forming part of this Committee adds to the internationalization efforts that the institution has made in recent years.

U21 is a global network of leading universities from 18 countries in the Americas, Europe, Asia, Oceania, and Africa that feature intensive research, educational innovation, and student mobility.

What it means to be an Executive Committee member

With its seat on the U21 Executive Committee, Tecnológico de Monterrey joins a select group of 8 representatives from the 28 universities that form the network.

Tecnológico de Monterrey and the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile are the two Latin American universities. The Tec is the first and only Mexican university to form part of this organization.

Only universities invited by another member and accepted unanimously can be part of U21.

Garza said that this involvement is one more step towards the fulfillment of the objectives outlined in the Strategic Plan for 2025, as these pillars include the global positioning of Tec de Monterrey.

“One of the pillars that we’ve promoted since the presentation of the Strategic Plan for 2025 has been the institution’s internationalization,” he said.

Garza participated via Zoom in the U21 annual general meeting, held between May 4 and 6 at the University of Birmingham in the U.K., at which the organization’s 25th anniversary was celebrated.

Why is U21 important for the Tec?

U21 is committed to providing educational and research opportunities, solutions, and resources to staff and students of its network members around the world.

Belonging to U21 demonstrates a contribution to the leadership and development of the network by university presidents, directors, and professors, as well as active and effective promotion of the network within their institutions.

As a U21 member, Tec de Monterrey is able to:

• Form part of one of the major international networks of research-intensive universities with a global focus.
• Establish new international working relationships, adapted to each university’s strategic objectives.
• Participate in various academic and research initiatives within the field of educational innovation.
• Improve the engagement, mobility, and employability of its students through both in-person and virtual international opportunities.
• Share best practices, resources, and educational data supplied by the members based on data sources, surveys, and other tools agreed upon by members.
• Work in a respectful and constructive environment with people from very different educational, linguistic, and cultural backgrounds, whilst maintaining the highest professional standards in all interactions.

The Tec’s projects with U21

Here are some of the projects implemented between Tec de Monterrey and U21:
 

- RISE competition

The Real Impact on Society and Environment (RISE) competition is an international showcase of student achievement in sustainability and social innovation.

RISE is designed to accelerate the scale and impact of student-led projects by connecting them with a network of experts in academia and industry.

For example, Project 99, a project from Tec students to prevent school desertion, won a RISE award.

- Internships

U21 offers several internships through Tec de Monterrey, such as the 2022 Sustainable Micro-Internship, in which selected students take part in multidisciplinary teams formed of students from the 28 universities belonging to U21.

- Awards

U21 has recognized Tec de Monterrey projects such as the Global Shared Learning Classroom (GSL Classroom), which promotes online international experiences, as well as members from the Tec community.
 

- Conferences and talks

As part of its activities, the Tec has held conferences related to U21, as well as talks such as those held during the COVID-19 pandemic.
 

U21: a global leadership project

U21 chiefly consists of universities in the top 200 of the 2022 QS World University Rankings, such as:

• National University of Singapore (11th place)
• University of Edinburgh (16th place)
• University of Hong Kong (22nd place)
• Fudan University (31st place)
• University of Melbourne (37th place)
• University of Zurich (70th place)
• Korea University (74th place)
• Tec de Monterrey (161st place)

U21’s objectives are divided into three different branches: research, educational innovation, and student mobility.

The main aim of this program is to promote and facilitate research between universities that are highly qualified to do so.

Its initiatives and programs are designed to benefit both member institutions and their students by sharing resources, learning together, and designing solutions to shared challenges.

U21’s dynamic approach has contributed to developing a network of more than 1 million students and 200,000 staff, inspiring institutional innovation for more than 20 years.

ALSO READ: