ABOUT OUR CENTER


Vínculos

May 2005

Dear Colleagues,
As we approach the end of the Center's 25th academic year, May brings the culmination of the year's celebrations.

Upcoming Events

25th Anniversary Celebration, May 25, 2005
As many of you are aware, the Center for U.S.-Mexican Studies will host a reception and dinner on May 25th from 6:00-9:00 pm at the Hyatt Regency in La Jolla to celebrate the Center's first 25 years and to honor Dr. Wayne A. Cornelius, the Founding Director of the Center. Our special guest will be Dr. Luis Carlos Ugalde, president of Mexico's Federal Electoral Institute (IFE) and a graduate of our Summer Seminar in U.S. Studies (class of 1989). There is still time to register for the event and/or donate to the Center's Innovation Fund at http://usmex.ucsd.edu/donations/underwriting.shtml.
Response from our supporters in the binational community as well as our alumni network has been excellent, and we are grateful to all who have shown their generous support for the Center.
Plan to join us earlier that same day for the Roundtable Discussion on Political Change in Mexico, 1979-2005, which takes place from 3:00-5:00 pm in the Weaver Center at UCSD. With the participation of Ambassador Porfirio Muñoz Ledo, Congressional Deputy Juan Molinar Horcasitas, Federico Estévez of ITAM, and Center for U.S.-Mexican Studies Founding Director Wayne Cornelius, the Roundtable promises to be a lively discussion of Mexico's past achievements and future challenges. I will moderate the talk, which will also be webcast live on our Web site. If you are unable to join us in person, please make sure that your computer has the latest version of Real Player in order to view the event via the Internet.
On June 17, the Center will sponsor a Conference on Surveys and Methods in Mexico. Visiting Fellows Pablo Parás and Luis Estrada are organizing the conference, which will take a close look at the developing science of Mexican public opinion polling, an invaluable quantitative tool that helps us to "take a reading" of the depth, quality, and changing nature of the democratic process in Mexico. Most of the leading pollsters from mexico will participate in the event.

Recent Events

The Project on Reforming the Administration of Justice in Mexico continues its important work in helping to build communities of knowledge and long-term advocacy for policy change. On April 28, the Project sponsored a presentation of justice-related studies at ITAM. The Project also worked with the Mexican Senate’s Institute for Legislative Research (IILSEN) on a March 31 presentation to the Mexican Senate on proposed reforms to Mexico’s judicial system. The report was distributed to all federal deputies and senators and is currently being distributed to state congresses, academic institutions, and NGOs throughout Mexico. Click here to see a PDF version of the report.
The Center participated in the long-awaited opening of the Casa de California in Mexico City on April 11. The Casa will be the University of California System’s center of operations in Mexico. The Casa is located in Chimalistac, which is situated between Coyoacán and San Ángel, near the UNAM, El Colegio de México, ITAM, and other institutions. UC’s Education Abroad Program and the Institute for Mexico and the United States (UC MEXUS) will soon establish permanent offices at the Casa.
The Center was fortunate to host a presentation comparing Mexican and U.S. public opinion and foreign policy on March 29. The presentation gave an overview of a fascinating study organized by former UCSD political science student and CIDE professor Guadalupe González and several other collaborators, including well-known pollster Miguel Basáñez. The event was co-sponsored by the Consulate General of Mexico in San Diego. The study was co-sponsored by CIDE, COMEXI, and the Chicago Council on Foreign Relations.
Our March 4-5 conference on Mexican presidentialism and federalism, organized by UCSD Political Science Professor Matthew Shugart and ITAM Professor Jeffrey Weldon was a great success. You may the download papers from the conference and or read a San Diego Union-Tribune article that recaps the first day of the two-day conference. This initiative, which is supported by the University of California Institute for Mexico and the United States (UC MEXUS) and the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, was preceded by our first Summer Workshop on Politics in Mexico in July 2004.
We continue to exhibit artwork from the collection of Community Advisory Board member Luz María Dávila. The Dávila family figures prominently in the history of Baja California, and Luz María continues this important tradition of civic-mindedness. A reception on April 28 showcased her impeccable taste and enthusiasm for contemporary Mexican art.

Programs and Outreach

We are looking forward to initiating the 17th Summer Seminar in U.S. Studies, which is directed by IR/PS and Economics Professor Gordon Hanson. This year’s Seminar will include participants from Asia, who are supported by a grant from the Henry Luce Foundation. Thanks to funding from the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs and the Ford Foundation’s Office on Mexico and Central America, this year’s seminar will also include a larger number of participants from Central and South America.
After a short hiatus, we are once again publishing Enfoque, containing longer stories and summaries of fellows’ research. The upcoming edition will be available in both electronic and hard-copy formats.
I would also like to remind you that if you wish to purchase Center for U.S.-Mexican Studies publications, you may contact Lynne Rienner Publishers at (303) 444-6684 or order online at www.rienner.com.
Our redesigned Web site has generated many comments and suggestions from the Center community, which we very much appreciate. We look forward to seeing you at our 25th Anniversary events on May 25th.

Sincerely,

Chris Woodruff
Director


Copyright © 2002, Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved.