The Baylor in Latin America initiative reflects the University motto “Pro Ecclesia, Pro Texana” and provides the opportunity for engagement by Baylor faculty, students, staff, and alumni in multiple avenues of the Quality Enhancement Plan, Global Baylor. Baylor in Latin America will provide the level of institutional support currently present at peer institutions and other leading universities across the nation with respect to engagement of the Americas (South America, Central America, Mexico, and the Caribbean), while capitalizing on the competitive advantages of our proximity and our faith commitment.
Historically, the emphasis on Pro Texana has been central to Baylor’s mission and identity, calling Baylor to judicious stewardship and care for her state, and by extension the world, as part of the University’s Christian commitment. According to the most recent Census figures available, Hispanics/Latinos currently represent over 39% of the Texas population. The Census Bureau projects that by the year 2030, immigration will surpass natural increase as the primary contributor to population growth in the United States. The timing of this initiative is responsive to these changing demographics and future trends. The aims of the initiative are further bolstered by the University’s strong ties to Baptist and Christian life, both in Texas and abroad, that will promote Baylor’s Christian mission and institutional commitment to world-class research and scholarship.
Within the institution, Baylor faculty from nearly every school and college are engaged in meaningful research, scholarship, and service in Latin America and along the Texas border. Support and infrastructure provided by Baylor in Latin America will enable faculty to not only scale existing work, but will also position the University to invest further, creating new partnerships and deliverables that will contribute to Baylor’s rise in research status.
The Baylor in Latin America initiative will position the University to be one of the most extensively engaged faith-based universities in the nation with regard to engagement in the Americas. The areas of inquiry have been selected based on identification of needs in high-impact geographical areas. While other institutions are engaged in the Americas, the world needs a Baylor that will bring its unique assets to bear on the needs of individuals and communities with the Christian calling that sets our University apart from our peers. Specifically, the initiative will facilitate meaningful collaboration across content areas and disciplines that will help improve conditions in high-impact areas within Texas and Latin America in the following areas of inquiry:
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- Health and Disease Prevention
- Business Development and International Trade
- Human Capital Formation and Education
- Immigration, Migration, and Human Trafficking
- Congregational Development
- Democratic Governance and Economics
- Culture and Arts