Imperial Valley College and UABC sign cross-border education agreement
Adrik Vargas
EL CENTRO, Calif. (KYMA, KECY) – Imperial Valley College has signed a five-year agreement with Universidad Autónoma de Baja California to strengthen cross-border collaboration in education.
The partnership will connect students, faculty, and academic programs between the two schools.
The first phase will focus on agriculture, allowing students to earn credit from their home institution while working on binational projects.
“Here in the Valley we operate as one region, minus the border, we share a local economy, talent, resources,” said IVC Superintendent and President Dr. Lennor M. Johnson.
Faculty from both institutions will also exchange curriculum and research materials, with plans to expand the partnership into other academic areas.
“It’s mandatory for institutions to collaborate together, to share resources and to build talent that is needed across the area,” said Dr. Luis Enrique Palafox Maestre, UABC Rector.
The schools are working to identify equivalent courses so students can move between institutions more easily.
“Right now, we are working in identifying the equivalent courses in our programs, so IVC students can go to UABC to finish their bachelors degree or masters, or even their PhD,” Palafox said.
The partnership also acknowledges how many students live and work on both sides of the border.
“We want our students to have that experience, many do reside or visit Mexico all the time, they have families there, work there,” Johnson said.
By working together, both institutions aim to create opportunities that reflect the unique lives of students in the region.