OU in Puebla Increases Opportunities with Study Abroad Engagement Grant

By Armando Garcia

OU’s Study Center in Puebla, Mexico, OUP, was established in 2015. Since then, OUP has hosted a wide range of both short- and long-term programs. From its creation, OUP has partnered with local entities to give students unique experiences in Mexico. Local partnerships include universities, Mexican government agencies, non-governmental agencies, schools, hospitals, dance companies, and other U.S. institutions with strong connections in Mexico.

One of the most relevant partnerships that OUP has developed is with the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City. This has granted OUP students the opportunity to visit the embassy while touring Mexico City. The U.S. Embassy in Mexico City has also been instrumental in strengthening OU’s presence in Mexico by connecting OUP with local stakeholders ranging from local government agencies to researchers, guest speakers, well-known universities in the region and more.

In 2021, a very challenging year for international student mobility, the U.S. Embassy and OUP were awarded a joint Study Abroad Engagement Grant by the U.S. Department of State. It was a worldwide competition, and those selected received funding to make study abroad possible for a greater number of American students. The grant focuses on important topics that are of binational interest between Mexico and the U.S. — migration, human rights and climate change.

In May 2022, 10 OU students studied abroad on this grant for 10 days. For many of these students, t was their first experience outside of the U.S., and for some their first flight! The group traveled to Puebla and Mexico City, engaged in cultural activities and attended lectures on migration, human rights and climate change with top Mexican researchers. They were also able to visit the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City and meet U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ken Salazar.

We are so grateful for this partnership with the U.S. Embassy in Mexico, and for the grant that covered all in-country expenses for these students!

OUP was thrilled to be able to offer this experience and will continue to partner with the U.S. Embassy to promote bilateral exchange between Mexico and the U.S. in different ways. The Study Abroad Engagement Grant will help us strengthen our partnerships in Mexico. Currently, OU is working with the U.S. Embassy, along with a few other U.S. universities represented in Mexico, on a strategy to reactivate and increase student mobility between the two countries.

Armando Garcia is director of OU in Puebla.

Photo: The group poses at Teotihuacan.