Prime Highlights:
TRU strengthens its ties with Mexico and Latin America through its membership in the Canada and Latin America Research & Exchange Opportunities Consortium (CALAREO).
TRU’s efforts emphasize the importance of fostering cross-cultural learning, sustainable growth, and international academic exchange through strategic partnerships with Mexican institutions.
Key Background:
Thompson Rivers University (TRU) is deepening its ties with Mexico and Latin America through its membership in the Canada and Latin America Research & Exchange Opportunities Consortium (CALAREO). This consortium focuses on fostering student mobility, research collaboration, and scholarship opportunities between Canadian and Latin American academic institutions.
In mid-March, TRU representatives Dr. Juan Felipe Mejía, Manager of Transnational Education, and Colin Doerr, Principal of Global Matters, traveled to Querétaro, Mexico, as part of a CALAREO delegation. The visit enabled them to engage with institutional partners to advance student mobility initiatives, collaborative research projects, and institutional development. Additionally, the delegation met with Mexican government officials and partners in Mexico City, reinforcing existing relationships and identifying new avenues for collaboration.
This initiative reflects TRU’s ongoing commitment to establishing meaningful educational and research partnerships with Mexico, thereby enhancing its global engagement. César Eduardo Gutiérrez Jurado, Executive Director of Institutional Strengthening at the National Association of Universities and Higher Education Institutions of the Republic of Mexico, emphasized the significance of these exchanges, stating, “Student mobility and academic collaboration between Canada and Mexico are fundamental pillars in the internationalization of our institutions. These experiences promote global leadership development, strengthen joint research, and foster long-term cooperation.”
TRU’s engagement with CALAREO has already yielded impactful results. Dr. John Church, a professor at TRU, used CALAREO funding to advance research in Brazil on precision ranching technology, which aims to improve sustainable practices in the livestock industry. As a result of this collaboration, TRU now hosts a research student from Brazil’s Universidade Comunitária de Santa Catarina, further strengthening its international ties. TRU’s involvement in CALAREO underscores its dedication to research, innovation, and cross-cultural exchange that drives sustainable growth.
