The technology industry offers enormous opportunity for international collaboration. At the first annual U.S. / Mexico Technology Summit, one of the principal themes will be partnership development. Most of us recognize the importance of good partnerships but the ability to nurture a partnership to its mutually beneficial limits is a rare quality.
In the spirit of international collaboration, the University of North Texas (UNT) established an academic liaison office on its campus for the Autonomous University of the State of Mexico (UAEM) in February of 2005. Since its inception, this program has fostered more than 14 joint publications, numerous degrees granted through distance education and/or graduate programs, the establishment of a dual degree program, many joint events and academic conferences, and much more. I was particularly impressed with the recent launch of a “seed fund” program to support new and existing work between UNT and UAEM. In year one, seven projects were approved, with the possibility of ten selections in 2011.
The emerging success of the UNT-UAEM partnership recently led to the establishment of a liaison office on the UAEM campus in Toluca.
While some of the risks of IP protection, data security and other issues may not be as large a concern for universities as they might be for corporations, the risks are real and successfully addressing the concerns was one component of the success of this partnership.
The UNT-UAEM partnership shows that cross-border cooperation is not only viable but vital. Such relationships have the potential of generating new ideas, greater efficiencies and also good will – not only between the entities directly involved but also between their home countries.
In an era of battles over drug enforcement and immigration reform, this last point is something that in and of itself is worthwhile in my mind.
Join us September 29 for dinner and the 30 for a conference. We think you’ll enjoy it. www.usmexicotechnologysummit.org.
