The rector of the Miguel Hernández University of Elche (UMH), Juan José Ruiz, welcomed a delegation from Pedro Henríquez Ureña National University (UNPHU) from the Dominican Republic. Leading the Dominican delegation was its rector, Miguel Fiallo Calderón. Their meeting aimed to promote joint initiatives, strengthen institutional ties, and lay the groundwork for future academic partnerships and international cooperation.

The Dominican delegation also included the Vice Rector for Research, Outreach, and Internationalization, Claudia Acra Despradel; and Beatriz Abad, director of the UNPHU Center for Sustainable Development. During their visit, they also met with the managing director of the UMH Foundation, Tonia Salinas, and the Director of the CYBORG Experimental Center, Fernando Borrás, who showed them the main facilities as well as their projects, with special emphasis on the Ibero-America Espejo Program. Managed by the UMH Vice Rectorate for Internationalization and Cooperation, this program aims to facilitate the mobility of graduate and doctoral students at Ibero-American universities.

For his part, Alberto Rodríguez, UMH Deputy Vice Rector for Internationalization, highlighted the university’s key strengths in terms of academic internationalization. In addition, Álex García, a staff member at Alumni UMH Office, explained both the system and the benefits of belonging to this community of alumni.

The purpose of this meeting is to further strengthen the institutional relationship that began in 2021 with a recently renewed framework agreement. The UNPHU, founded in 1966, has more than 9,000 enrolled students and maintains 76 international agreements. The Espejo Program will help consolidate doctoral programs at the Dominican university, create lasting ties of cooperation between research groups at both institutions, and thereby enhance the international visibility of UMH teaching and research initiatives.