CETYS Universidad, Mexico
NTU and CETYS Universidad collaborate on student mobility, employability, summer schools, and international seminars to strengthen global academic partnerships.
CETYS Universidad is Nottingham Trent University’s most active and strategic partner in Latin America, particularly in the areas of physical and virtual student mobility, and the scholarship of teaching and learning in employability. This long-standing collaboration continues to grow, with exciting plans for future engagement.
NTU’s partnership with CETYS began in February 2019, when both institutions connected during the ANUIES-UUKi Institution-to-Institution Networking Day, part of the UUKi delegation to Mexico. Since then, with support from the British Embassy, the British Council in Mexico, and UUKi, CETYS has become NTU’s leading partner in Latin America.
In summer 2019, NTU sent 20 widening participation students to CETYS for a two-week summer programme. Designed to support students from disadvantaged backgrounds, the programme aimed to challenge perspectives, build intercultural competencies, and highlight the value of global experiences and community engagement in enhancing employability.
While studying alongside CETYS students, NTU participants gained a deeper understanding of Mexican culture and formed lasting friendships. The academic programme was enriched with industry visits and cultural activities such as a chocolate-making workshop and a visit to a local vineyard.
A unique feature of the programme was a bespoke community engagement weekend, organised exclusively for NTU students. They visited two rural indigenous communities, the Pai Pai and the Zapotecs, where they participated in language learning, traditional crafts, team games, and dance. Students also taught English to local children and planted trees in the school grounds, ensuring the visit was mutually beneficial.
This summer school partnership remains active, and NTU continues to send students to CETYS annually, further strengthening intercultural exchange and academic collaboration.
We visited local indigenous communities, joined cultural events, sat in on local classes, and explored sustainable business models in the region. These experiences brought the concepts we studied to life-showing me how sustainability is not just an academic subject, but a lived reality shaped by people, culture, and community.
Cosima Standeven, NTU student, BA (H) Fashion Communications and Promotion
Collaborative Development
Building on this strong foundation, NTU and CETYS, supported by British Council HE Alliances funding, have developed a productive working relationship focused on sharing expertise in curriculum design, business practice, and cultural understanding.
In October 2019, two NTU Employability Managers delivered a week-long programme of workshops at CETYS Mexicali. These sessions engaged a wide range of stakeholders, including faculty, enrolment officers, employers, students, alumni, and young entrepreneurs. Post-workshop evaluations revealed a strong appetite for continued collaboration, particularly in developing innovative approaches to employability curriculum design and delivery across disciplines.
CETYS also runs a number of online International Seminar Series throughout the academic year and offers a limited number of free places to NTU students. Each series typically includes four to eight sessions hosted on Zoom, taking place on Saturdays in the late afternoon or early evening. These seminars provide students with the opportunity to engage with global topics and perspectives from the comfort of their own homes.