The 100,000 Strong in the Americas Innovation Fund encourages institutions of higher learning to embrace new ways of promoting the cross-cultural exchange of ideas in order to solve real-world problems and stimulate economic prosperity. Funded by Fundación Banorte, led by Chairman Carlos Hank González, as well as Fundación Gruma, and the U.S. Department of State, one of the projects supported by the Innovation Fund involved students from Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona. The institution partnered with Instituto Tecnológico de Sonora in Ciudad Obregón in Mexico to enrich students’ understanding of sustainability, agricultural innovation, and the economics of environmentalism.
Through this alliance, students in both institutions attend virtual lectures on groundbreaking research techniques and environmental evaluations. Across the “classrooms” and oceans, the students established a website for their joint research. The site explains students’ findings, ideas, and plans to effectively and efficiently harness nature’s resources to produce food and fiber without exacerbating environmental and climate factors.
“Mexico and the United States have always been great allies and by working together we contribute to making our bond even stronger,” Chairman González said. “We are very proud of this initiative that encourages our students to make a positive change in our societies.”
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The 100,000 Strong in the Americas (100K) Innovation Fund is the public-private sector collaboration between the U.S. Department of State, U.S. embassies, and Partners of the Americas working in collaboration with regional private, public, and academic sectors to stimulate innovative partnerships and inclusive exchanges for students and faculty between the United States, Latin America, and the Caribbean. As of October 2023, after 35 competitions over 10 years, the 100K Strong Innovation Fund has awarded 306 grants ($25,000-$40,000 each) to teams of 572 higher education institutions (HEIs) working across 25 countries and 49 U.S. states. As a result of 100K Strong partnerships, upwards of 9,000 students and faculty have participated in dynamic, inclusive exchange and training programs throughout the Americas. The 100K Network, a virtual platform for higher education collaboration, includes more than 4,000 individual members representing approximately 2,300 HEIs in the Western Hemisphere.
To Join the 100K Network: www.100KStrongAmericas.org // Follow: #100KStrongAmericas
