Latinx/a/o magnet CCNY seeks exchange links, collaboration, with Latin American schools

With the majority of its students identifying themselves as Latinx/a/o, The City College of New York would welcome mutually beneficial links with institutions in Latin America, CCNY President Vincent Boudreau told a visiting delegation of New York City-based consul generals from the region. 

“Thirty-nine percent of our population come from somewhere south of the United States,” Boudreau told the 20 diplomats, representing 12 nations. “That means that we would like to build exchange relationships with universities in your countries. We would like for our students to experience the cultures that exist in your countries, and we’d like to launch research collaboratives with your countries.”

Boudreau, who welcomed the visitors to CCNY with CUNY Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez, noted that the large number of Latinx/a/o students at CCNY -- which holds both Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) and Minority Serving Institution (MSI) designations from the U.S. Department of Education -- meant a lot of things. “It means that even if their future is to live their lives as Americans in this country, they continue to be connected to their country of origin. And that sense of being concerned about wishing to contribute to being a partner with their countries of origin, or the countries where their parents came from, positions, I think, all of us to be better,” he said.

The diplomats heard how CCNY, CUNY’s founding institution, invented the idea that everyone had the capability to have a college education.

“When CCNY was founded in 1847, they used this phrase that we use all time, the “whole people” -- the people that are not divided by income, not divided by where they came from, how they got to the United States, whether they are men or women; and we’ve been working for 175 years to maintain this legacy,” said Boudreau.

Rodríguez echoed Boudreau’s call to create opportunities for collaboration between CUNY and universities in Latin America. 

“I think there’s a lot that can be achieved,” said the Chancellor, mentioning academic exchanges, scientific research, and cultural and artistic activities.

He assured the consul generals of his support as Chancellor.

Speaking on behalf of the delegation, Ambassador Santiago Villalba, Consul General of Argentina, said they had chosen CUNY as their first stop because of its prestige and its emphasis on accessibility. 

In addition to Argentina, the other nations represented were: Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, Ecuador, Chile, Costa Rica and Brazil. A lot of these countries are represented at CCNY, which is ranked by the Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education magazine among the top 100 colleges and universities in the nation for students that identify as Latinx/a/o.

After meeting Boudreau, Rodríguez and other senior CCNY leaders, the diplomats toured the labs of noted physicist Carlos Meriles, biophysicist Ronald Koder and neurophysiologist Hysell V. Oviedo. The Consul Generals are members of CLACNY, a coalition of Latin American consulates that provides a platform for dialogue and the exchange of ideas and good practices for consulates.

CCNY’s Juan Carlos Mercado, Dean of the Division of Interdisciplinary Studies and head of the Study Abroad and International programs, organized the visit.

About the City College of New York
Since 1847, The City College of New York has provided a high-quality and affordable education to generations of New Yorkers in a wide variety of disciplines. CCNY embraces its position at the forefront of social change. It is ranked #1 by the Harvard-based Opportunity Insights out of 369 selective public colleges in the United States on the overall mobility index. This measure reflects both access and outcomes, representing the likelihood that a student at CCNY can move up two or more income quintiles. In addition, the Center for World University Rankings places CCNY in the top 1.8% of universities worldwide in terms of academic excellence. Labor analytics firm Emsi puts at $1.9 billion CCNY’s annual economic impact on the regional economy (5 boroughs and 5 adjacent counties) and quantifies the “for dollar” return on investment to students, taxpayers and society. At City College, more than 16,000 students pursue undergraduate and graduate degrees in eight schools and divisions, driven by significant funded research, creativity and scholarship. CCNY is as diverse, dynamic and visionary as New York City itself. View CCNY Media Kit.

Jay Mwamba
p: 212.650.7580
e: jmwamba@ccny.cuny.edu