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Imperial Valley College and the Universidad Autónoma de Baja California (UABC) have formalized a five-year cross-border partnership aimed at expanding international learning and enhancing student success across the U.S.-Mexico border. The signing ceremony took place July 24 at the college’s boardroom.
The “Agreement of Cultural, Educational, and Scientific Cooperation,” approved by the IVC Board of Trustees in May, outlines collaborative initiatives between the two institutions, including academic programming, faculty and student exchanges, research collaboration, and online binational learning through the Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) model.
“We’re a border community, we share one region, economically and socially, and it only makes sense, at least from our perspective, to have these strong binational relationships with our counterparts south of the border. For educational opportunities, for sharing professors, resources, and materials,” Dr. Lennor Johnson, President/Superintendent of IVC said. “And honestly, most likely, our students are going to end up working either here or over there. So having that connection is extremely important.”
The agreement’s first phase will focus on agriculture, connecting IVC’s Agriculture Department with UABC’s Institute of Agricultural Sciences and Faculty of Social and Political Sciences. Students will have the opportunity to earn credit at their home institutions while engaging in joint academic activities. Faculty from both colleges will also collaborate by sharing curriculum materials and research publications.
“This is opening up more avenues for our students,” said IVC Trustee Isabel Solis. “We have many dual-language students in our community, and we want them to continue that language and have the opportunity to pursue their studies on both sides of the border.”
Luis Enrique Palafox Maestre, Rector of the UABC, called the agreement a historic step in regional academic integration.
“California and Baja California are part of a shared mega-region, and while we’ve had collaborations in the past, this formal agreement opens new doors for students on both sides of the border,” Palafox said.
He emphasized plans to establish a course equivalency pathway between IVC and UABC, allowing students to earn academic credit across institutions. “We want UABC students to take courses at IVC and receive credit toward their degrees, and we want IVC students to continue their academic journey at UABC, whether through one of our 128 undergraduate programs or even graduate-level studies,” he added.
Palafox said faculty exchanges and expanded academic options in areas like agriculture and social sciences are also part of the agreement’s early implementation.
UABC is one of Mexico’s leading public universities, serving nearly 70,000 students across three campuses. The new agreement is set to remain in effect through June 30, 2029. Financial terms will be determined as collaborative initiatives develop.
This marks IVC’s second partnership with a Mexicali-based institution. The college also has an existing agreement with CETYS University, originally signed in 2014 and renewed in 2024.