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NAU President Rita Cheng gives a speech at the Technological University of Hermosillo on Dec. 18, 2019.

Northern Arizona University President Rita Cheng was in Mexico this week working to expand opportunities for NAU students in Mexico, as well as open the door for more Mexican students to study in Flagstaff.

“We need to make sure that our students understand the world," she said, calling education borderless. "It is just such an important call to action for both of our countries, and I’m so glad Arizona and Sonora are leading the way.”

On Monday, Cheng signed an agreement with the binational commission Comexus in Mexico City to bring Mexican students to NAU for graduate studies on Fulbright García Robles scholarships. 

Then, she met with Sonoran education officials and university heads Wednesday at the Technological University of Hermosillo to push for increased cross-border collaboration.

“When I see students who've studied at NAU — and I've met several on this visit in Hermosillo — I’m just so glad we’ve opened the doors and allowed the opportunity," she said. "Education can break down barriers."

Murphy Woodhouse/KJZZ

Sofia Hernandez Uribe of Hermosillo talks about her experience as a student at Northern Arizona University during a meeting at the Technological University of Hermosillo on Dec. 18, 2019.