Tec and ambassador of Spain to Mexico aiming for greater collaboration

Learning about projects and areas of collaboration were some of the goals for the visit to Tecnológico de Monterrey by the ambassador of Spain to Mexico.

Ambassador Juan López-Dóriga, accompanied by Álvaro Pastor, the Economic and Commercial Advisor at the embassy, and Bernabé Aguilar, Consul General of Spain in Monterrey, visited the campus and learned about projects and initiatives. 

“Relations between Spain and Mexico are so extensive that our societies communicate by themselves,” said the ambassador.

Student mobility, educational innovation, and a Tec HUB in Cantabria, Spain, were some of the initiatives shared by Ignacio de la Vega, Executive Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs, Faculty, and Internationalization at the Tec.

“Spain is a country with which we have a great relationship regarding student mobility and the second-largest destination in terms of education for our professors,” said David Garza, Rector and Executive President of Tec de Monterrey.

What student mobility is like between the two countries

Between 2016 and 2021, around 8,900 Tec students completed a temporary mobility program in Spain.

The schools of Business, Engineering and Sciences, Architecture, Art, and Design are the ones that receive the most international students.

Meanwhile, around a thousand Spanish students took a course at Tec de Monterrey during the same period of time.

“Relations between Spain and Mexico are so extensive that our societies communicate by themselves.”

“There is no university in the world that sends as many students as we do. Spain is one of the main destinations,” said Ignacio de la Vega.

“I believe that the Tec is a good partner for communication to flow naturally between Mexico and Spain,” said the Ambassador.

A HUB where Spain and the Tec collaborate

Ignacio de la Vega also shared the Comillas Hub initiative, a space for innovation  in which Tec de Monterrey and the University of Cantabria in Spain aim to carry out educational innovation and entrepreneurship projects, among other areas.

This initiative aims to create a connection between Mexico and Spain by attracting talent and researchers, as well as European partners together with the Tec’s Institute for the Future of Education.

The site of the Hub will be Comillas Castle at the Comillas Foundation University Center, located 30 kilometers from Santander, the capital of Cantabria. 

“I think the initiative that we bring from the Hub in Comillas will also take this relationship between Spain and Mexico to another level,” said David Garza.

Learning about educational initiatives

During the visit, the delegation from Spain learned about some of the Tec’s initiatives and areas of innovation, such as DistritoTec, an urban improvement initiative for the area surrounding the Monterrey Campus.

It also learned about virtual and augmented reality projects such as headsets and the Virtual Tec Campus, a Tec metaverse on the Internet where students can interact and take classes. 

“At a time when there is a tendency in the world to shut down, I celebrate the fact that the Tec is the opposite. You want to be more open.

“I love hearing that you’re going to do things in Cantabria. My family lives there, and it’s music to my ears. Both the consulate in Monterrey and the consulate in Mexico City communicate very closely with Tec de Monterrey,” the ambassador emphasized.

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