President Richard C. Levin met with Mexico's President Vicente Fox at his official residence in Mexico City during a three-day trip to Mexico May 13-15.

The meeting was one of several Levin had with officials from the Mexican government during his trip, which was designed to strengthen existing relationships and build new ones with America's neighbor and second-largest trading partner.

"Strengthening relationships with the people and institutions of Mexico are of great significance to us," said Levin. "Not only because we are neighbors, but also because of Mexico's growing importance as a trading partner, its emerging role in world politics and the richness of its multicultural heritage."

In addition to Fox, Levin met with Mexico's Minister of Education Reyes S. Tamez, Minister of the Environment Victor Lichtinger and Director General Jaime Parada of CONACYT (Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnologica), Mexico's National Academy of Sciences. At each meeting, Levin -- who was accompanied by Vice President and Secretary Linda Lorimer and six Yale faculty members -- discussed his goal of expanding the University's role in the international arena, and specifically in Mexico, as part of the initiative to help Yale become a global university.

Following his meeting with Parada, Levin signed a letter of agreement that Parada called the most generous agreement for Mexican doctoral students wishing to come to the United States to study. (See related story.)

On May 13, Levin welcomed alumni and guests to a Yale symposium titled "Interdependence: Mexico, the United States and the World: Social, Economic and Ecollogical Dimensions." The event featured Yale faculty who made presentations defining the growing importance of the relationship between the United States and Mexico. Participating faculty were Daniel Esty, associate dean of the School of Forestry & Environmental Studies and director of the Yale World Fellows program; Gustav Ranis, the Henry R. Luce Director of the Yale Center for International and Area Studies (YCIAS) and the Frank Altschul Professor of International Economics; and Florencio Lopez-de-Silanes, professor of finance and economics and director of the International Institute for Corporate Governance at the Yale School of Management.

Attended by more than 250 academics, government officials, alumni and their guests, the panel also featured Mexico's former president, Ernesto Zedillo, a Yale graduate who was recently named director of the Yale Center for the Study of Globalization. It was Zedillo's first public appearance in Mexico since leaving office in December of 2000.

Zedillo closed the program by defending policies promoting globalization. "Globalization and interdependence are not the cause of inequality or poverty," he said, nor are they the complete solution. "They are part, not all, but part of the answer ... to problems so difficult, so wounding, so painful," he said.

"The central theme is inclusion," Zedillo told the audience in the packed room. The problem, he continued, is that there are not "policies for giving people instruments that allow them to participate." The windows of opportunity that are now open are ephemeral and can easily be closed, he concluded. To keep those windows open, "it is important that we continue discussing and debating these items," he said.

During the trip, Levin also joined renowned Maya art expert Mary Miller, the Vincent Scully Professor of Art History, in presenting the Mexican government with the original data from her studies of the ancient murals at Bonampak -- an important Maya site in Chiapas, Mexico -- along with a hand-painted reconstruction that incorporated all of the data into a single large format work. (See related story.)

Miller's data and donation of the reproduction may become even more significant as the Mexican government is considering closing the mural rooms to the public at Bonampak in order to preserve the site. Miller's work will allow Mexico to recreate full-size reproductions of the murals to be exhibited in Chiapas.

The faculty delegation also included Gilbert Joseph, the Farnam Professor of History and chair of YCIAS's Council on Latin American and Iberian Studies, and Jane Levin, lecturer in English and director of undergraduate studies for the Directed Studies Program.

In addition to government officials, Levin also met with rectors from some of Mexico's most prestigious universities during his stay. During these meetings, and separately with Mexico's education minister, Levin initiated discussions about the possibility of increasing student and faculty exchanges with Mexico as well as encouraging opportunities for future collaborations.

"Creating a global university is a revolutionary development," said Levin. "It signals distinct changes in the substance of teaching and research, the demographic characteristics of students and the engagement of the university with new audiences."

T H I SW E E K ' SS T O R I E S

Yale strengthens ties with Mexico during Levin's visit

Mexican doctoral students at Yale to receive added financial support

Yale research on Maya murals presented to Mexican anthropologists

Yale scientist Jerry Woodall wins National Medal of Technology

Carm Cozza named to College Football Hall of Fame

Yale physicist Devoret helps create 'artificial atom'

ENDOWED PROFESSORSHIPS

• Hazel Carby is named the Dilley Professor
  
  
• Robert Gordon appointed the Kent Professor
  
  
• Brigitte Peucker is new Leavenworth Professor
  

  
  

Stuart Schwartz to be new master of Ezra Stiles College

IN FOCUS: Yale University Health Services Center

Research offers new proof that babies can count

São Toméan president and new World Fellow visit campus

Joan Steitz honored for her work with 'snurps'

Alumni reunions feature talks, tours, music and more

Works by '1952's Authors and Artists' to be displayed

Graduate School will honor three faculty members for their mentoring

Library exhibit marks milestone for monarchy

Paintings by award-winning artist on view at Slifka Center

Graduate students get practical advice on interview etiquette

Longtime city resident named head of University Properties

Dwight Hall Management Fellows to oversee center's fundraising

Art gallery to showcase 'outsider art' at special fundraising event . . .

Tennis coach Alex Dorato is honored as 2001 New England Coach of the Year

City gallery features national exhibition juried by Yale sculptor

Commencement Information

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