UIC, Tec de Monterrey partnership launches student research internship program

Following upon last year’s success with four faculty international research collaborations funded jointly by Tec de Monterrey and University of Illinois Chicago Nuveen Fund grants, the strategic partnership between the universities has launched an innovative program of student research internships.   

The initiative began in the summer with six online student research interns, supported by UIC professors Unsal Ozdogru and Myunghee Kim. Ozdogru, clinical associate professor of information and decision sciences, hosted four Tec de Monterrey students on supply chain research projects, and Kim, assistant professor of  mechanical and industrial engineering, hosted two students in engineering research projects. 

Based on the success of the summer program, UIC is hosting 10 Tec de Monterrey student research interns on campus. UIC professors who are hosting the Tec de Monterrey students include faculty in engineering (Kim, Eben Alsberg and Mojtaba Soltanalian), pharmacy (Gail Mahady), and business (Ozdogru and Anthony Pagano). Thanks to this initiative, UIC is now hosting more than 50% of Tec de Monterrey students studying or researching at universities in the Midwest.

The student research internship program increases students access to study abroad by providing research abroad options and the opportunity to work with international researchers. In addition, the host faculty member is able to draw upon the insights of students with different perspectives and experiences. The research collaboration also increases the opportunities for faculty-to-faculty research in the future. 

The student research internship program deepens the strategic partnership between Tec de Monterrey and UIC, promotes UIC’s globally connected community, and support the efforts of both Tec and UIC researchers.