Tec de Monterrey, one of Mexico’s top universities, has joined forces with two prominent Spanish academic institutions to create a binational medical center focused on ophthalmology research and eye health in both countries.
Through its TecSalud health system, Tec de Monterrey (officially the Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education) will be working with the University of Oviedo in Oviedo, Spain, and the Fernández-Vega University Institute (IUFV), a universally admired center of ophthalmological research, teaching and treatment, also in Oviedo, where the center’s operations will take place.
The center was promoted by José Antonio Fernández Carbajal, executive chairman and CEO of FEMSA, Mexico’s (and Latin America’s) largest bottler.
“The support of José Antonio Fernández Carbajal and his wife, Eva Garza, reflects their firm commitment to science, research and their Asturian roots,” the head of the Fernández-Vega University Institute, Professor Luis Fernández-Vega, said.
According to the agreement, the center will develop high-impact international projects in ophthalmology and related areas of the health sciences. Furthermore, it lays the groundwork for collaboration in the areas of medical training, biomedical research and knowledge transfer between the two countries.
“We want the medical innovation and research center to be an institution of excellence in knowledge, in the generation of new ideas which translate into an improvement in visual health and in the quality of life of thousands of people in Spain and Mexico,” Fernández said.
Under the motto “where research becomes health,” the new collaborative project will be developed along three main lines: academic exchange, joint research and entrepreneurship acceleration.
The first will promote scholarship and training programs for students and healthcare professionals in Mexico and Spain, in collaboration with the University of Oviedo. The second will foster joint research projects. The third, the Business Accelerator Project, will promote and consolidate science and technology-based companies.
The Fernández-Vega Ophthalmological Institute was founded in 1886 and treats 100,000 patients annually for eye problems. It is dedicated to teaching ophthalmology and vision sciences, offering various postgraduate programs.
Meanwhile, TecSalud focuses on medical care, research, innovation and health education in Mexico. Founded in 1969, it comprises the School of Medicine and Health Sciences, the TecSalud Foundation and the San José and Zambrano Hellion hospitals, as well as specialty institutes and affiliated centers.
Mexico News Daily
