UNAM and Chicago Launch New Migration Partnership

Beatriz Ponce de León, Deputy Mayor of Immigrant, Migrant and Refugee Rights for Chicago, visited UNAM to address the migration challenges facing her city.

The official engaged with scholars and program coordinators specializing in migration studies to establish a foundation for future collaborations between the university and the American city.

During her visit, Ponce de León met with William Lee Alardín, Coordinator of International Affairs, who presented an overview of UNAM’s academic initiatives focused on migration. She also discussed with Mario Luis Fuentes, Coordinator of the Advanced Development Studies Seminar, exploring research on border issues and population displacement.

Another key meeting was held with Luciana Gandini, Coordinator of the University Seminar on Migration, Displacement, and Repatriation. In this session, they exchanged insights on public policies concerning integration, healthcare, and shelter provisions for mobile populations.

Ponce de León highlighted the importance of her visit, describing it as “an excellent opportunity to find solutions to the challenges facing major cities” while emphasizing the need for collaboration on these critical issues.