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bids farewell today (Dec. 2) to the 58 Mexican university students and professors who were the first to come here as part of UC President Janet Napolitano’s UC-Mexico Initiative, instituted earlier this year.

The visitors participated in a four-week English language and American culture program run by ������Ƶ Extension’s .

A graduation ceremony is planned for tonight, with Carlos González Gutiérrez, the Mexican consul general in Sacramento, as a special guest. The program is scheduled from 5:30 to 7 p.m. in MU II at the .

The UC president’s initiative aims at strengthening connections between the university and Mexico, addressing shared concerns and developing future leaders on both sides of the border. Expanding the participants’ English language abilities and helping them become familiar with American culture provides a firm foundation for improving bicultural understanding and long-term relationships.

“The Center for International Education has been honored to contribute to President Napolitano’s initiative through Mexico’s Proyecta 100,000, which promotes binational research and learning,” said Beth Greenwood, associate dean.

Proyecta 100,000 strives to send 100,000 Mexican learners to the United States over the next 10 years as part of a renewed spirit of cooperation between the two countries.

The Mexican government facilitated and funded the ������Ƶ Extension class that is just now ending. The students, representing a broad range of academic fields, are from three universities in Guadalajara.

“I feel extremely grateful to my country for giving me the opportunity to study at ������Ƶ,” said Rosalinda Torres Mendoza, professor of epidemiology and public health at the Universidad de Guadalajara. “The teachers are very skilled at knowing how to help students learn. My homestay family was also very patient with me, teaching me English pronunciation and new vocabulary.”

International relations student Juan Carlos Torres Moreno commented: “I have never been outside of Mexico, and this has been one of the best experiences of my life. There were many things I liked about ������Ƶ, but what I liked the most is that there are people from all around the world there, which is not common in Mexico.”

Greenwood said ������Ƶ Extension looks forward to welcoming future groups “as we continue to build ties to the Mexican educational community.”

More information is available from Mary Crumley, associate director, International English and Professional Programs, Center for International Education, by phone, (530) 757-8674, or email.

Silva is senior editor at ������Ƶ Extension.