OC signs MOU with the Public Universities of the State of Queretaro in Mexico

Okanagan College has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Public Universities of the State of Queretaro in Mexico, an agreement that further develops and diversifies the College’s international education partnerships.

Okanagan College President Neil Fassina signed the MOU on behalf of OC while the Deputy Minister of Higher Education for the State of Queretaro as well as representatives from each of seven post-secondary institutions signed for Mexico in a ceremony on Thursday March 2 at Okanagan College.

The MOU lays the groundwork for collaboration on research, joint training, international opportunities for students and professors and student collaboration, among other things and is part of a larger agreement between B.C. post secondary institutions and the Public Universities of the State of Queretaro in Mexico.

“We were honoured to host this delegation from Mexico and sign this MOU with the Public Universities of the State of Queretaro, as it will ultimately benefit students attending OC,” said OC President Neil Fassina. “This will allow us to work closer with post-secondary institutions in Mexico, continuing to provide learning opportunities for international students who want to come to Okanagan College and domestic students who wish to study abroad. Working in collaboration with our peers here in B.C. and the public universities in Mexico puts students first and will help us to continue to transform the lives of students who attend OC.”

A delegation from the seven institutions from the State of Queretaro in Mexico were on hand for the signing, which was followed by meetings with Okanagan College Deans and some faculty to discuss further cooperation and opportunities between the institutions. The delegation had previously met with other B.C. universities and colleges that are part of the MOU.

Following the signing ceremony, Deputy Minister Orfelinda Torres Rivera along with Christian Reyes Mendez, the Dean of the university consortium from Queretaro released this statement:

“As a consortium, we are committed to the personal growth of the members of our community, and specifically of our students, by providing them with cutting edge facilities, an adequate learning environment and the tools needed to succeed in college and in their professional careers. To achieve these goals, the collaboration of our international partners is essential. That is why, we would like to strengthen our ties with British Columbia and forge new agreements with more Canadian higher learning institutions. It is our honour to work together with Okanagan College to contribute to our institutional goals on academic and scientific cooperation.”

The MOU is in alignment with the Province of B.C.’s new BC International Education framework. The B.C. Council for International Education recently led a delegation to Mexico focusing on partnership development and diversification. One of the outputs was the MOU with the Querétaro Universities Consortium which is at the centre of the State of Queretaro’s education system.

Shared areas of interest for collaboration and cooperation include AME, Arts Diplomas, Engineering Technologies, Computer Information Systems, Business Administration, BSN, and English as a Second Language.

To learn more about OC's International Education program, click here.