When Justice Institute of British Columbia (JIBC) lead instructor Dr. Lisa Richlen heard about Global Affairs Canada Faculty Mobility for Partnership Building Program, she knew she had to jump at the opportunity. The program provides funding for Canadian faculty to do short-term research and teach in Latin America and the Caribbean, helping to advance institutional partnerships in the areas of student mobility, joint programming, and capacity building.

This past summer, Lisa headed to Mexico for an immersive three weeks of teaching at the University of Guanajuato. As an instructor in JIBC’s school of Health, Community and Social Justice, Lisa delivered workshops to undergraduates within the Law, Politics and Governance and Languages departments at the university’s Guanajuato campus. These lectures focused on her areas of expertise, including conflict resolution, intercultural communication, and social justice and engaged students in cross-cultural perspectives on pressing global issues.

“This trip gave me the opportunity to immerse myself in Mexico’s culture and learn about Guanajuato in an authentic way. I so enjoyed my interactions with the students and learning about their everyday challenges,” says Lisa.

Her efforts have helped lay the groundwork for JIBC to formalize its relationship with the University of Guanajuato through a comprehensive MOU. The MOU, which establishes a framework for a broad partnership between the two institutions, including faculty and student exchanges, joint academic and research initiatives, and co-development of educational materials, is set to be signed this November during JIBC’s participation in the Asociación Mexicana para la Educación Internacional’s (AMPEI) annual conference.