VCU news

By Nicol Tinsley
Global Education Office

Virginia Commonwealth University’s Global Education Office will host the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Mexico to the United States, Esteban Moctezuma Barragán, on Jan. 25.

The ambassador, appointed in February 2021, will deliver a lecture from 2:30-3:30 p.m. in the James Branch Cabell Lecture Hall, Room 303, titled “Mexico and U.S. Interdependence and Common Future,” which will address the shared values and contributions that bind Mexico and the United States; the actions that both nations can take to foster a more humanistic, prosperous, and competitive North America; and data that illustrate the profound interconnection between them.

Jill Blondin, Ph.D., VCU's associate vice provost for global initiatives, spearheaded bringing the ambassador to the university to offer new global learning experiences for the VCU community.

“Mexico is one of the United States’ closest partners, so hosting the ambassador of Mexico at VCU is incredibly significant,” Blondin said. “Not only does it offer an extraordinary learning experience for the community, but it demonstrates the kind of global opportunities that we provide on campus.”

As former secretary of education for Mexico, Moctezuma is particularly interested in education. In addition to the lecture, the ambassador will spend the day on campus meeting with VCU leaders, including VCU President Michael Rao, Ph.D., and selected students and faculty to learn more about VCU and its current connections to Mexico.

Moctezuma was appointed as ambassador by President Andrés Manuel López Obrador in February 2021.

The ambassador’s lecture is open to the public and welcomes the VCU community and interested audiences, and registration is not required. Community members may wish to park at one of VCU's parking decks for an hourly rate. The West Main Street Parking Deck is the closest parking deck to Cabell Library and is located at 801 W. Main Street.