Texas Border Business
By Amanda Sotelo
South Texas College and the Instituto Internacional De Estudios Superiores (IIES) Universidad in Reynosa, Tamaulipas, Mexico recently entered a partnership that will allow students across the border to advance their studies through STC and transfer to American universities.
In a recent signing ceremony, STC President Ricardo J. Solis said partnerships, like the ones being created and fostered internationally, have a major impact on both regions.
“We have seen how global competition impacts our region and now, in the wake of a global pandemic, we must implement innovative training with short-term certificates,” he said. “We must be adaptive to change and be open to forging partnerships that will advance the region on both sides of the border in the Rio Grande Valley and northern Tamaulipas.”
The signing and partnership between IIES and STC will allow the Reynosa college to expand workforce training opportunities to its region.
IIES Universidad President Miguel Efren Tinoco Sanchez said this partnership is going to take the university’s three decades of workforce training to a new level.
“We’ve been in workforce training for 30 years, and this partnership will advance our work,” said Sanchez. “This academic collaboration and workforce development initiative will allow our students to advance their studies and enter American universities. Our students will study in McAllen and professors from STC will come here to teach.”
The university’s Director of School of Business and Master’s programs Myra Castillo said the partnership with STC is going to allow IIES to expand its course offerings.
“By being in partnership with STC, we will be able to offer our students so many more courses and it will bring prestige to our university,” said Castillo. “We have great expectations, and our students will benefit from it – they’ll be able to have two diplomas or certificates, one from Mexico and one from an American institution of learning.”
Through this partnership, STC will customize trainings for IIES and its students. Trainings will range from industry and career training to community and personal enrichment or English as a Second Language.
For IIES student Michel Tijerina, this is a game changer.
“This will open many doors in respect to my dreams of owning a business,” said Tijerina, a second-year international business student at IIES. “I want to study English and get a better understanding of the international markets. This is an amazing opportunity.”
Reynosa Mayor Carlos Victor Peña Ortiz, who studied at Harvard University in Boston, shares the same sentiment – this partnership is going to reshape the quality of life for his residents.
“There are very few people, very few agencies with the willingness to come to our great city of Reynosa and effect change,” said Ortiz. “STC will bring opportunity to uplift a generation of students and the economic reality of our region.”
He addressed the students in the audience by adding, “While I challenge you to study in the United States, I also hope you will return to Reynosa, to do your part to improve your community. Be the grain of sand that can make a difference.”
For more information on the trainings offered by STC’s Continuing Education, Professional and Industry Training department or to learn more about its customized training for industry and educational institutions, visit southtexascollege.edu/cpit/.
