Mexican secretary of foreign affairs to announce new program at Rice Dec. 19.

Dec. 19 MEDIA NOTE: Claudia Ruiz Massieu is not able to travel to Houston today. Paulo Carreño, undersecretary for North American affairs, will take her place at the event.

David Ruth
david@rice.edu
713-348-6327

Mexican secretary of foreign affairs to announce Sueño Mexicano program at Rice’s Baker Institute Dec. 19

HOUSTON – (Dec. 16, 2016) – Claudia Ruiz Massieu, Mexico’s secretary of foreign affairs, will help announce the launch of Sueño Mexicano, a new U.S.-Mexico study abroad program aimed at providing Mexican-American students with the opportunity to explore their heritage through hands-on, experiential learning at designated sites across Mexico, at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy Dec. 19.

Hosted by the Baker Institute’s Mexico Center, the event is free and open to the public, but registration is required.

Who: Nuvia Mayorga Delgado, director general of the National Commission for the Development of Indigenous Communities of Mexico, will introduce the Sueño Mexicano program. Claudia Ruiz Massieu, Mexican secretary of foreign affairs, will give brief remarks about the program. Rice President David Leebron will also speak. Edward Djerejian, director of the Baker Institute, and Oscar Rodríguez, consul general of Mexico in Houston, will give welcoming remarks. Tony Payan, the Baker Institute’s Françoise and Edward Djerejian Fellow for Mexico Studies and director of the Mexico Center, will moderate a Q-and-A session following Ruiz Massieu’s presentation.

What: An event titled “Sueño Mexicano: A Presentation by Her Excellency Claudia Ruiz Massieu.”

When: Monday, Dec. 19, 4-5:30 p.m.

Where: Rice University, Baker Hall, Doré Commons, 6100 Main St.
Through a monthlong curriculum, students participating in Sueño Mexicano will learn about Mexico from academics, experts and government officials and tackle real-life challenges by working with residents of rural communities, according to program organizers.

The goal of the program is to allow students and emerging leaders to gain a deeper understanding of Mexico as a whole, and the country’s current political and economic state in particular. Students are encouraged to bring their new ideas and perspectives to the project and collaborate on ways to draw local, national and international attention to the problems in the communities they will serve, organizers said.

The public must RSVP for the event at www.bakerinstitute.org/events/1838. A live webcast will be available at the event page.

Members of the news media who want to attend should RSVP to David Ruth, director of national media relations at Rice, at david@rice.edu or 713-348-6327.

For a map of Rice University’s campus with parking information, go to www.rice.edu/maps. Media are advised to park in the Central Campus Garage.

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Founded in 1993, Rice University’s Baker Institute ranks among the top five university-affiliated think tanks in the world. As a premier nonpartisan think tank, the institute conducts research on domestic and foreign policy issues with the goal of bridging the gap between the theory and practice of public policy. The institute’s strong track record of achievement reflects the work of its endowed fellows, Rice University faculty scholars and staff, coupled with its outreach to the Rice student body through fellow-taught classes — including a public policy course — and student leadership and internship programs. Learn more about the institute at www.bakerinstitute.org or on the institute’s blog, http://blogs.chron.com/bakerblog.