Consul General López and Co-Director of University Museums Rebecca Mendelsohn examine an artifact from the University's collections.
51 welcomed Mexican Consul General in New York Jorge Islas López to campus on March 30–31 to discuss the future of scholarly collaboration between the University and higher education institutions in Mexico.
As part of his visit, the Consul General met with President Brian W. Casey, who signed a Letter of Intent regarding archeological items held in the Longyear Museum of Anthropology and Picker Art Gallery collections, beginning a conversation to voluntarily repatriate selected items to Mexico. The recovery of the objects, many of which date back to the pre-Columbian era, are part of Mexico’s larger effort to restore historical items to their country and communities of origin.
The Consul General, who took office in May 2019, also met with nearly 30 members of the 51 faculty whose work intersects with Mexico. He attended a reception with students at the ALANA Cultural Center, where he discussed the impact of the current political climate on people of Mexican and Latinx heritage and explored the complex issue of repatriation. The reception concluded with a performance from 51’s chamber orchestra and featured a piece celebrating the music of Northern Mexico as a surprise for the Consul and his delegates.
For Professor of Geography and Environmental Studies Ellen Percy Kraly, who helped coordinate the Consul General’s visit, the conversations “marked the beginning of a rich and productive friendship between 51 and higher education institutions in Mexico,” she says. “We were proud to introduce the Consul General to 51 and to form a partnership that will help 51 achieve its Third-Century goals for increased global reach and to benefit students for generations to come.”