Research & Innovation

UC-UNAM Call for Collaborative Research Proposals on Climate Issues

In February, Alianza MX and the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) launched the first-ever joint call for collaborative research proposals The call covered basic and applied research on various issues related to climate change, including climate resilience, adaptation in urban areas and the built environment, and sustainable agriculture in rural areas. Proposal submissions were required to incorporate at least three PIs, at least two from the UC, and both institutions agreed to support a joint fund to provide each three projects with up to USD $100,000 in funding support for two years. Following evaluation of the proposals by experts from UC and UNAM, the following proposals were selected for funding awards in May: Here´s the link to the selected project

Short-Term Research in Mexico for Graduate Students

In May, Alianza MX launched a call for applications to fund short-term research in Mexico by UC graduate students. The initiative is designed to provide students in Master’s degree or PhD programs with supplemental funding for one to three months of research in Mexico, including living expenses and round-trip travel. Applicants are required to present a research project plan, letters of support from a UC faculty adviser, and a full-time faculty member at a host institution in Mexico. Applications for the short-term research funding opportunity are due by June 16.

Mexican Winner of UCR Technology Incubation Challenge

In February, startup firm Tycho Solutions was selected as the recipient of a special prize for Mexican entrepreneurs funded by Alianza MX as part of the UC Riverside Entrepreneurial Proof of Concept and Innovation (EPIC) Incubation Challenge. Tycho Solutions offers geospatial software-as-a-service (SaaS) that helps users determine the best locations for clean energy projects. The firm’s leadership will travel to California for technology incubation activities and collaboration with UCR faculty as part of the prize.

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Academic Exchange & Continuing Education

Seed Funding Opportunity for Mobilities to Mexico

Alianza MX’s Seed Funding Opportunity for Mobilites to Mexico call received 24 proposals from nine UC campuses (Berkely, Irvine, Los Angeles, Davis, Merced, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz, San Diego, Riverside) when it closed in March. An evaluation committee of UC international experts selected nineteen submissions for awards, enabling the academic mobility of nearly 200 UC undergraduate students to Mexico in 2023. These students, formally known as UC Bicentennial Scholars, represent of various academic areas, including the Arts, Chicanx/Latinx Studies, Environmental and Life Sciences, Engineering, and Policy. Modalities will include faculty-led programs, research stays, student training, volunteer opportunities and internships across Mexico, including Yucatan, Oaxaca, Nuevo Leon, and Baja California.

Building Binational Bridges

In March, Alianza MX hosted the UC Irvine DREAM Center’s Building Binational Bridges: A Cross-Border Convening event at Casa de la Universidad de California in Mexico City. The event, led by Dr. Laura Enriquez and Dr. Angela Chen, brought together 40 UC DACA recipients from UCIrvine, UC Riverside and UC Los Angeles and recent alumni who participated in a series of panel presentations, small group discussions, and guided reflections on issues related to undocumented immigration. Students also had a unique opportunity to meet with U.S. Ambassador Ken Salazar during a visit to the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City.

March 29

Mexico City Visit by UC Leadership in Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences

In March, Alianza MX welcomed several distinguished UC leaders to Casa de la Universidad de California in Mexico City. Dr. Daryle Williams, Dean of the College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences at UC Riverside; Dr. Ignacio López-Calvo, Presidential Chair in the Humanities and Professor of Latin American Literature and Culture at UC Merced; and Dr. Héctor Cárdenas, Lecturer at the Goldman School of Public Policy at UC Berkeley met with Mexican partner institutions to discuss collaboration opportunities in faculty and student exchange, joint certifications and degrees, and summer research programs.

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Strategic Initiatives

California-Mexico 2030 Summit

On April 19 and 20, Alianza MX hosted high-level policymakers from California and Mexico, researchers from across the UC and Mexican partner institutions, and a broad range of representatives from the community, industry, and non-profit organizations to build a long-term collaboration agenda between California and Mexico for 2030.

Following the recent bicentennial of diplomatic relations between the United States and Mexico, this event, hosted at Casa de la Universidad de California in Mexico City, provided a unique opportunity to reflect on the current state of the relationship and to identify strategic areas for collaboration on shared challenges around climate change. Alianza MX partners for this endeavor were the California Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) and the Consulate General of Mexico in Sacramento.

By showcasing research projects led by UC experts and their Mexican peers and engaging non-academic stakeholders to help identify existing knowledge gaps, the Summit provided a space to discuss emerging policy challenges and how new research initiatives can offer innovative solutions and a common agenda around the transition to zero-emission vehicles and sustainable energy, climate resilience and climate justice around water conservation and agriculture, health and farmworkers, and heat in urban centers. Several plenary sessions focused on cross-cutting issues, such as climate-resilient infrastructure, lithium as a critical resource, sustainable cities and public transit, and decarbonizing transport and climate justice.

A special dinner session included remarks by U.S. Ambassador Ken Salazar and a discussion on the role of U.S. Latino leaders in the California-Mexico relationship. Other notable speakers included Roberto Velasco, Martha Delgado, Gina Cruz Black, Yana Garcia, Liane Randolph, Andrew McAllister, Antonio Villaraigosa, Daniel Talliant, Ricardo Lara, Kim A. Wilcox, Chancellor, Gary May, Theresa Maldonado as well as Secretaries of nine States in Mexico (Sonora, Puebla, Chihuahua, Quintana Roo, Guanajuato, Yucatán, Baja California, Queretaro, CDMX).

Please see the Alianza MX website for more information on the Summit, UC research initiatives, and policy engagement.

Zero-Emission Vehicles

On February 1, Mexican Secretary of Foreign Relations Marcelo Ebrard Casaubon presented a new report, "Diagnosis and Recommendations for the Transition of the Automotive Industry," which resulted from the U.S.-Mexico High-Level Task Force for the Electrification of Transport, supported by University of California Alianza MX, researchers from the Institute of Transportation Studies at UC Davis, and the Undersecretary for Multilateral Affairs and Human Rights of the Ministry of Foreign Relations. At the launching event, Alianza MX Director, Isabel Studer, reinforced the UC system’s commitment to generating knowledge that will inform public policy and business strategies to accelerate the transition to zero-emission vehicles in Mexico.

On February 28 and March 1, the College of Engineering - Center for Environmental Research and Technology (CE-CERT) at the University of California, Riverside, hosted a binational workshop on the ZEV transition of medium- and heavy-duty vehicles, providing a neutral space for dialogue between industry actors and policymakers on emissions regulations and trade, air quality, infrastructure, electric grid deployment, supply chain, renewable sources, and technology development, among others. More than 40 U.S. and Mexican stakeholders attended the workshop.

On April 17, Isabel Studer served as keynote speaker at the opening of the Sustainable Mobility Forum organized by the National Association of Private Transportation (ANTP). This year’s Forum focused on "Challenges and Opportunities of Electromobility in Mexico” and sought to promote best practices for private freight transporters to use new environmentally friendly technologies.

On May 9, Isabel Studer and Arun Raju, Associate Research Engineer and Associate Director of Operations for CE-CERT at UC Riverside, met with the Mexican Ambassador to the U.S., Esteban Moctezuma, and local leaders in San Diego to discuss the impact of California’s ZEV regulations on cross-border trade while ensuring a successful ZEV transition. Hosted by Caroline Winn, CEO of San Diego Gas & Electric, other attendees included Carlos González Gutiérrez, Consul General of Mexico in San Diego; Nora Vargas, President of the San Diego County Board of Supervisors; Saúl de los Santos, Undersecretary of Economy of Baja California.

Climate Ambassadors

The Alianza MX Climate Ambassadors' live webinar series brings UC and Mexican experts together to discuss the most pressing climate concerns among youth in Mexico and the United States. The second webinar on March 31 explored the transition towards a greener economy, including how governmental policies, scientific research, entrepreneurship, and consumer and living habits can help accelerate the adoption of alternative green economic models and promote individual sustainable lifestyles. Panelists included Ivan Hernández Cuevas; Research Professor at la Universidad Marista de Mérida; Ana Hanhausen, Sub-Director for Plastic Oceans México; Francisco Estrada Porrúa, Coordinador of the UNAM Climate Change Research Program; and Andrés Flores; Director for Climate Change and Energy at WRI México.

On May 4, four Mexico-based Climate Ambassadors participated as panelists in the Women’s Energy and Sustainability Summit hosted by Women in Renewable Energy México (MERM), Greenthology, and Energía Hoy. Panelists included Teresa de León Escobedo (on climate change), Sofía Itzel Texcahua (on the energy transition), Iyari Balderas Cruz (on STEM education), and Alejandro Sánchez Zavala (on Net Zero).

A critical opportunity of the Climate Ambassadors initiative is the internship opportunities provided by our esteemed partners. Nine ambassadors are working at various organizations. Juan Manuel Aguirre, UNAM, and Maria Fernanda, Universidad Anahuac Norte, work for Inciativa Climatica de Mexico. Cristian Aram Flores, El Colegio de Mexico, and Ariadnna Garcia, UC San Diego, at World Environment Center. Diego A. Rodriguez, El Colegio de Mexico, Asociación Mexicana de Energía Eolica. Iyari Balderas, Universidad Iberoamericana Ciudad de Mexico, Sofía Texcahua, El Colegio de Mexico, and Caren Aguirre and Aanvi Jhaveri, UC San Diego, have joined as interns atAlianza MX.

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At Casa de California

From January to April La Casa de la Universidad de California was the location of 11 events with a total participation of 600 people: Workshop of Efficient Buildings Challenge, Program Students Spring 2023 and Dialogos SALURBAL, just to name a few

From March 20 to 24, over 70 members of the Salud Urban en América Latina (SALURBAL) Project met at La Casa de la Universidad de California in México for a week of workshops, panels, research updates, and a Diálogos SALURBAL public and policy engagement event for documenting the health impacts of climate change on health in cities across Latin America.

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From the Alianza MX Team

Welcome Julianna Hernández, Alianza MX Associate Director of Operations!

Julianna Hernández joined Alianza MX on February 2023 as Associate Director for Operations. Prior to joining Alianza MX, Julianna served as Assistant Director for Strategic Initiatives and Partnerships at California State University, Fullerton (CSUF), where she supported strategic enrollment management and led efforts around first-generation and Hispanic-Serving Institution initiatives for the Division of Student Affairs. Julianna also served as Associate Director for Outreach, Recruitment, and Orientation, overseeing undergraduate student recruitment and orientation programs.

Julianna is a doctoral student in the Ph.D. in Higher Education Leadership program at Colorado State University. She also has a Master of Arts in Student Affairs Administration from Michigan State University, and a Bachelor of Science in Human Services from California State University, Fullerton.