University of the Incarnate Word officials announced the expansion of its international offerings with the addition of its third site in México, this time in León, Guanajuato.
The University of the Incarnate Word León was officially inaugurated on July 7, with a ribbon cutting ceremony. The new university site is also the home of the presidential library of the former Mexican President Vicente Fox, and is meant to serve the larger metropolitan León region, which is home to nearly 2 million residents and an international manufacturing hub.
“Innovation is a core value here and we’ve been a global entity connected to the [Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word] since really the very beginning,” said UIW President Thomas Evans. “Being able to do more as an extension of what we had been doing out of Bajío, it just feels kind of natural.”
As mentioned by Evans, UIW expanded its offerings to multiple locations throughout México decades ago, starting with the Centro Universitario Incarnate Word established in 2003 in México City, and followed by the Campus Bajío, was established in 2015 in Irapuato, Guanajuato.
This new venture will operate out of Centro Fox, which is the only U.S.-style presidential library and museum in México.
The relationship with Vicente Fox and his wife, Marta Sahagún de Fox, has been longstanding, Evans said, with her family having connections with the Sisters of Charity for generations.
Officials agreed to a 100-year loan for use, with the library and museum remaining independently operated from the university.
“Consistent with its identity as a private, Catholic, nonprofit university, UIW does not participate in or engage in partisan political projects, initiatives, or activities,” the university’s announcement reads.
Unlike the other México sites, this location also offers a residential hall for students, with capacity to house about 70 students on site, officials said, for short or long-term programs.
The economy in the León metropolitan region relies heavily on manufacturing and is one of the major economic drivers in the country. The region exports of motor vehicle parts, leather goods, as well as automation and manufacturing equipment, making it a prime spot for the university to expand some of its programs.
“The area is very well known for the automotive industry,” said Marcos Fregoso, UIW’s vice president for international affairs. “All the suppliers and all the big manufacturing companies of all brands are there…companies from Japan, Germany, México. That gives the opportunity for business students and engineering students to have direct contact with these companies.”
UIW officials began piloting offerings at the Centro Fox location over the last three years, starting with a High School linked to the university. About a year ago conversations expanded to this site becoming a full university site.
As of this fall, the new site will begin to offer short-term programs, including study abroad opportunities for UIW students as well as students from the UIW’s recently expanded CHARISM partnering institutions across the U.S. — Dominican University in Chicago, University of Mount Saint Vincent in New York, and the Universidad del Sagrado Corazón in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Officials said they will first expand on the programs that are already offered in México City and Campus Bajío, which include continuing education offerings and micro-credentials.
They are also in the process of assessing new degree programs that can be unique to this location, but require accreditation from both Mexican and U.S. accrediting agencies, Fregoso said. And will likely start with a Master’s of Business Administration degree, which is already in the approval process.
Fregoso expects that campus to draw about 100 UIW and the CHARISM students combined next year for study abroad opportunities. This would be in addition to another 80 to 100 local students seeking micro-credentials and the master’s degree, which is expected to start with a cohort of about 20 students once it is accredited.
“This new location benefits UIW as a system,” Fregoso said. “It makes us stronger and it opens more options for our youth from both the U.S. and México.”
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