SAN DIEGO (Border Report) — The University of San Diego says it is deepening its history of community engagement in Tijuana, Mexico, by becoming a bigger player in research, industry, business and the arts in the region.
USD is introducing a multipurpose workspace at the Business Innovation and Technology Center south of the border created for students, faculty, staff, alumni and community partners so they can collaborate directly with Tijuana business leaders and policymakers.
“This is for chambers of commerce, local governments, there are lots of players,” said Rachel Lozano, director of USD’s Small Business Development Center. “There’s a group of business owners who have come together from socioeconomic benefit of their city and we’re going to be talking about exchanges that involve students, professors, that involve research and community work, so that it would include even public artworks with community partners with importance to Tijuana.”
According to Lozano, another function of the Tijuana hub will be to facilitate and improve cross-border collaboration in entrepreneurship business, education, arts, human rights and other areas integral to the advancement of economic development and social justice.
And the school says this partnership also solidifies its commitment as a Binational Anchor Institute, investing financial and human resources in partnership with the neighboring community south of the border.
“This is something I would like to see other universities and organizations to really encourage internal innovation,” said Lozano.
