ASU’s Queretaro’s campus holds second graduation

A record 70 students graduated on Saturday (May 14) with degrees from Arkansas State University Campus Querétaro in Mexico. It was the university’s second commencement ceremony.

Among the students, 29 graduated with honors. Ten Distinguished Senior Award recipients were nominated for the Ricardo Gonzalez Award, the highest achievement for a CQ student. It is comparable to the R.E. Lee Wilson presented to the outstanding student on the Jonesboro campus.

A businessman and entrepreneur, Gonzalez provided the support in making Querétaro a reality. The campus was dedicated in 2017 and the first graduates received diplomas four years later in 2021.

Arkansas State is the first comprehensive U.S. university in Mexico with an American-style campus and concepts such as a “living-learning” community in a country where almost all students commute and open professional exchanges for faculty, students and staff.

The Mexico campus incorporates the A-State brand and logo and the university’s curriculum. Courses are taught in English by credentialed faculty approved by Arkansas State, and degrees are jointly recognized in both Mexico and the United States.

Queretaro, located in north-central Mexico about 200 miles north of Mexico City, is a technology and industrial hub in the country. At least 1,300 international companies have offices in the city. Gonzalez, who has worked in the banking and food product sectors, partnered with his investors to create an educated workforce to fill the needs of the companies.

The college sits on a 370-acre swath. The vision by investors in the project is to build an entire community in the desert with homes, retail shopping markets, parks, and other amenities.