Energy and Climate Change. Collaboration between UNAM and the Illinois University System

On April 7^th, 2022, a co-hosted virtual symposium on energy was held by UNAM and the Illinois Mexican and Mexican-American Students initiative, known as I-MMÁS.

I-MMÁS is part of the University of Illinois System, which brings together the universities of Urbana-Champaign, Chicago (UIC), and Springfield, and promotes an extensive network of Mexican and Mexican-American academics that fosters synergies for research, and professional and academic development. It also seeks solutions to important challenges that humanity is facing worldwide. 

During the symposium, researchers and experts from various areas focused on different ways of producing, transforming, and storing energy, and shared solutions aimed at mitigating the risks faced by the environment. Issues such as geothermal systems, solar and wind energy, bioenergy, and infrastructure, among others, were widely discussed. The list of topics addressed reflected the commitment of the academic and scientific community of the different participating schools and faculties and, above all, of the students of both countries to provide a range of potential solutions to meet energy demand while mitigating environmental deterioration, reducing health risks and facing global challenges such as energy security. The virtual symposium provided a unique platform for participants to connect, communicate, expand their networks, and form teams for possible joint projects. 

The symposium was inaugurated by UNAM Rector, Enrique Graue Wiechers PhD, and the President of the University of Illinois, Timothy L. Killeen PhD Elvira de Mejia PhD —professor of Food Science and director of the Division of Nutritional Sciences at the University of Illinois—, and Victor Castaño Meneses PhD —an outstanding scientist and researcher at UNAM, member of the Mexican Academy of Engineers— coordinated this important initiative, the third of its kind, which was preceded by symposiums of similar size, focused on water and health issues. 

During his speech, Enrique Graue welcomed the participants and referred to this exercise as an important step forward aimed at strengthening cooperation between the universities and promoting the exchange of ideas between the two university communities. He recalled that, in 2021, together with Timothy Killeen, they signed an agreement to promote and foster scientific, academic, and cultural exchanges in areas of mutual interest. UNAM Rector also expressed his hope that the symposium will mark the beginning of other activities that could provide important lessons for the common challenges we will have to face as societies, and acknowledged that research work on energy is of vital importance for issues such as climate change. He concluded his speech by emphasizing the conviction shared with Timothy Killeen that working together strengthens research, education, and bilateral development. 

Killeen acknowledged the efforts of I-MMÁS to foster cross-border collaboration on such sensitive issues for the planet. He emphasized that one of the goals set in the creation of this initiative is to promote academic exchanges between Mexico and the state of Illinois. He stated that one of the objectives is to help people understand relevant issues such as the global energy crisis and explore alternative solutions that make us less dependent on non-renewable energies, and, at the same time, less vulnerable to negative impacts, both for the environment and for our health. 

He said that the pernicious effects of climate change resulting from non-renewable energy sources are known to all, and that they manifest as temperature rise, dramatic changes in climate, and the destruction and devastation of ecosystems. He recalled that non-renewable energy sources produce environmental, soil, and water pollution, and generate waste that generally tends to negatively affect health. On the other hand, he stressed that current trends in energy use give way to optimism. 

The President of the University of Illinois said that, according to the International Energy Agency, the world’s renewable energy range has increased by 45% by 2020, the largest incremental rate recorded since 1999, reflecting an unprecedented boom, particularly in solar and wind energy. This agency also noted that renewable energy sources are the only ones that have registered an increase in demand, while consumption of other forms of energy registered a decline. He also predicted that new forms of renewable energy would be the trend for the immediate future, as has already been observed in several latitudes. However, while there is room for optimism, Timothy Killeen stressed the need for further investment and innovative solutions to reduce pollutant emissions and safeguard the planet. In a very positive tone, at the end of his speech, he was very proud that both universities are working for the common good towards a more prosperous and sustainable future between Mexico, Illinois, and the entire North American region. 

In his intervention, Ricardo Estrada, member of the UIC Board of Directors, a Mexican migrant born in Guanajuato who has shown great leadership within the community, recalled a meeting held in Mexico in 2017 with Enrique Graue and celebrated the alliance between the University of Illinois System and UNAM. Additionally, Victor Castaño spoke about the intention of both universities to undertake and finance projects in three fundamental areas—health, water, and energy—to mitigate and solve problems such as poverty and environmental deterioration, and to advance towards sustainability between Mexico and the United States. 

The symposium continued with the presentation of research carried out by visiting specialists: a variety of topics related to energy and sustainability, showing the breadth of the work that has been carried out through international and inter-institutional collaboration. 

This event is testimony to the operation of the General Collaboration Agreement between UNAM and the University of Illinois, signed in 2021, to foster collaboration between the parties, to jointly undertake academic, scientific, and cultural activities in areas of common interest.

The symposium recording is available on the University of Illinois System website at https://www.uillinois.edu/cms/One.aspx?portalId=1324&pageId=1689759.

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