┬íVamos a Guadalajara!

Known as the state where Mexico's heart and spirit converge, Jalisco is the birthplace of mariachi and tequila and the land of cowboys (charros) and the rodeo (jaripeo). It embodies the essence of what it means to be Mexican.

Strategically located along the coast of the Pacific Ocean, Jalisco is Mexico's second most important economy. With a mix of relaxing countryside and the dynamic city life of its capital Guadalajara, Jalisco is a state that's constantly growing.

While the percentage of Jalisco's working population ranks it second at the national level, Guadalajara places second among all North American cities in terms of economic potential, and is number five of the top 10 "cities of the future."

With more than seven universities of national and international renown, two technological universities, one polytechnic university, 13 state technological institutes, three national technological institutes, two advanced research centers, and a school of conservation and restoration, Jalisco is home to a little over 3.5 million students. Its reputation as a leading education center is complemented by its status as Mexico's top employment training area, with 56 technical schools and 631 job-training centers.

Taking advantage of its extensive transportation infrastructure and wide-open spaces, Jalisco is the leader in markets such as electronics, telecommunications, agriculture and livestock, agave, jewelry and many others. This dominance allows for growing international investment supports the state's leading role in developing 70% of the software manufactured in the country. Jalisco also stands out as the country's fashion capital, an important agricultural-livestock center and it is notable for its many economic advantages.

With 41 consulates and 11 trade representative offices, our state welcomes almost four million international visitors each year, 4,000 of which are students, making Jalisco the second-most popular education destination in Mexico.

CONAHEC's Mobility Incubator Program is a new initiative which seeks to deepen interinstitutional relationships between our members and their international partners to through increased high-quality area specific interaction. The Incubator's goal is to produce opportunities for jointly administered projects, research, service learning and internships which have a mobility component for students, faculty, and/or administrators. A key rationale for the creation of the program is the acute need to increase intra-regional mobility within North America, where mobility statistics indicate relatively low interaction levels. The Consortium for North American Higher Education Collaboration (CONAHEC) had its first “Mission to Guadalajara”, hosted from January 22-24, 2015 by the Jalisco Consortium for Higher Education Cooperation and Internationalization and the Secretary of Innovation, Science and Technology of the State of Jalisco as part of the CONAHEC Mobility Incubator Program. More than 28 colleagues from 18 different universities in the United States and Canada learned about Jalisco, Mexico, its culture and higher education system. During our visit The Jalisco Consortium for Higher Education Cooperation and Internationalization comprised of six top-notch colleges and universities interested in strengthening their collaboration activities with international institutions formalized their collaborative relations by signing an agreement. This new Jalisco Consortium includes: Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Occidente (ITESO), Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey, Campus Guadalajara (ITESM), Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara (UAG), Universidad de Guadalajara (UDG), Universidad del Valle de Atemajac (UNIVA) and Universidad Panamericana (UP). This was a unique opportunity to see what these institutions have to offer.

Visit to Continental Instituto Tecnológico de Monterrey- Guadalajara ITESO- The Jesuit University of Guadalajara