The University of Oviedo has gone a step further in its collaboration with Mexican technology-based university centers, with the signature of several agreements aimed at the exchange of undergraduate and graduate students, the development of joint research projects, PhD Theses under joint supervision and the implementation of double degrees.

A delegation made up of the rectors of the polytechnic universities of the State of Aguascalientes, alongside with representatives of Education sent by the Governor of Aguascalientes, Carlos Lozano de la Torre, are visiting the University of Oviedo these days to set up the guidelines for the agreements implementation.

The Rector, Vicente Gotor, presided over the signing of an agreement with the director of the Technological University of North Aguascalientes, Jovita Martínez, aimed at setting up a collaboration programme concerning the mobility of professors and students and also joint research projects. The other members of the delegation together with the rectors attended a meeting to outline the main collaboration lines. The delegation is made up of Jorge Armando Llamas Esparza, Rector of the Technological University of Aguascalientes, Jovita Martínez Rodríguez, Rector of the Technological University of North Aguascalientes, Eulogio Monreal Ávila, Rector of the Polytechnic University of Aguascalientes, José Guillermo Batista Ortiz, director of the Technological Institute of Aguascalientes, María del Socorro Vallín Contreras, director of Secondary and Higher Education of the Institute for Education of Aguascalientes, and Maricela Cruz Chávez, assistant director of the University and Technological Education of the Institute for Education of Aguascalientes.

Upon the signature of the agreement, the director of Secondary and Higher Education of the Institute for Education of Aguascalientes, María Socorro Vallín, explained the State of Aguascalientes is willing to establish a strong academic collaboration with the University of Oviedo, a partner with lots of common interests. This collaboration includes students and faculty mobility, joint research projects and the implementation of double degrees in 2016.

The Rector of the Polytechnic University of Aguascalientes, Eulogio Monreal, suggested the undergraduate degrees of Industrial Engineering and Automotive Mechanical Engineering as two possible double degrees that may be implemented for that date, as well as the Masters´ Degrees in Optimization and in Networks and Computer Systems. In addition, another point of interest in the field of research is focused on robotics and on strengthening the command of foreign languages, with English as a second language.

The rector of the University of Oviedo, Vicente Gotor, pointed out that concerning students mobility, the idea is to establish an exchange of 50 undergraduate students in two or three years.

The director of Secondary and Higher Education highlighted that "we are willing to set up partnerships" which include the business sector as well. As an example, she pointed out that in Aguascalientes there is a Nissan School to facilitate the labor market insertion of the youngsters. This Mexican state has several multinational companies related to the automotive sector. As an example, every 39 seconds a car is manufactured.

The visit paid by this Mexican delegation is a next step in the process started out by the University of Oviedo last November, when Vicente Gotor signed a collaboration protocol with the universities that are part of the Common Higher Education Area in the Field of Technology of Aguascalientes (ECESTA).