By Alexandra Mendoza
The creation of a binational university to be sited in Chula Vista was one of the projects presented at the 9th Border Committee Meeting of the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG).
The proposal was moved forward by Chula Vista’s City Council in late January, and it is currently in the process of creating a Board and a foundation that would enable the project to fund construction.
The idea behind the project is to have a campus that could host one or more universities from both countries and offer degree courses to students from both sides of the border. The City already has almost 400 acres of land for the project, just four miles north of the San Ysidro border.
“The vision is to have a binational, bicultural, and bilingual campus… and acknowledge the workforce that sparks our region’s economy”, stated former Senator Denise Moreno Ducheny, who is part of the project’s advisory team.
SANDAG members agreed that the project could serve as a model for higher education throughout the border region.
“Successful projects could lead to and catalyze other, similar projects elsewhere along the border,” said Elisa Arias from SANDAG’s Planning Department.
With an estimated 15,000 Mexican students enrolled in U.S. universities, it is essential for projects like this one to be promoted.
“We know that many Baja California residents cross into the San Diego region every day to study at different levels of education, as well as projects to increase the number of San Diegans studying in Tijuana, so all of these initiatives are important for the region,” added Ms. Arias.
The campus will focus on science and technology degrees to meet this border region’s needs.
“We live in a binational region, so having a university that focuses on advanced manufacturing, engineering, and sports medicine is a natural step; it all fits with the community’s vision,” expressed Chula Vista Mayor Mary Salas during an interview prior to SANDAG’S meeting.
U3 Advisors, the consulting firm contracted by the City of Chula Vista, is currently working on identifying higher education institutions in both the U.S. and Mexico to be a part of this unprecedented project. Whether the project will be funded as a private or public institution, or as a public-private partnership, will be determined based on the results of an in-depth assessment.