Liz Grobsmith, NAU's provost and vice president for Academic Affairs, and Javier Espinosa, president of Universidad Internacional, shake hands after signing an agreement for the Mexican university to provide immersion language programs for NAU students.

Beautiful Cuernavaca, Mexico, is the site for a renewed agreement between Northern Arizona University and Universidad Internacional to provide a language immersion program steeped in quality and culture.

"This agreement will provide NAU a great relationship with a Mexican university that is ideally suited to our students," said Liz Grobsmith, provost and vice president for Academic Affairs. "This is an extraordinary place with tailor-made programs at all levels."

Universidad Internacional's intensive Spanish program is recognized for its success in enhancing student Spanish language skills. Known for exposing students to both the language and culture through the integration of life experiences in the linguistic process, the program maximizes the use of Spanish in multicultural environments.

Currently, NAU has 26 students studying at Universidad Internacional.

"Our students are extremely happy there," Grobsmith said. "They are in a situation where they are living with carefully chosen host families and are exclusively speaking Spanish. They come to school in a beautiful setting with quality instruction."

Located 50 miles south of Mexico City, Universidad Internacional also offers students excursions to a cultural cornucopia of museums, archaeological sites, ancient cathedrals and artwork by legends such as Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo.

Grobsmith and Universidad Internacional President Javier Espinosa signed a memorandum of understanding with the Mexican university's Center for Linguistics and Multicultural Studies on May 22. The agreement established policies for NAU to "conduct and promote" a foreign study program consisting of a summer program as well as two 13-week semester programs held from August to November and from January to April.

Edward Hood, chair for NAU's Modern Languages department will serve as liaison for the immersion program.

Marilyn Allen, a program coordinator for the Center for International Education, said studying in Mexico is a logical choice due to its proximity to Arizona.

"The benefits of studying abroad and learning other cultures and languages is a vital part of today's college education," Allen added.

NAU language immersion programs also are available at the Interamerican University Studies Institute in Querétaro, Mexico, and at the Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey in Mazatlán, Mexico.

Information is available on NAU's Center for International Education web site.