Scholars and other experts from both countries share innovative discourse on some of the most pressing challenges facing North America
The third in-person U.S.-Mexico Forum, hosted by the Center for U.S.-Mexican Studies at the UC San Diego School of Global Policy and Strategy on April 29-30, gathered Mexican and U.S. scholars, practitioners and other experts to chart a course for the binational relationship between the U.S. and Mexico.
Each year, participants gather to discuss the latest developments in migration, security and public health, trade and economy, energy and sustainable development, strategic diplomacy and more. The participants then made their recommendations for achievements beneficial to both the U.S. and Mexico in these fields, building upon the report published after the first forum. A report from this year’s forum is forthcoming.
The event’s closed-door sessions discussed salient topics such as the countries’ respective presidential candidates’ economic and trade policies; how artificial intelligence could shape North America; reshoring in North America; and binational energy relations and climate change.
“The forum’s aim is to encourage cooperation between both countries and to avoid, as much as possible, the frictions that can emerge in a relationship as intense, complex and asymmetric as the one between the United States and Mexico,” said Rafael Fernández de Castro, center director. “We cannot leave the processes of bilateral integration to the whims of market forces or simple fate — both federal governments should make a conscious and deliberate effort to deepen cooperation.”
During the forum, the center presented the 2024 Jeffrey Davidow Good Neighbor Award to Laura Diez Barroso Azcarraga and Carlos Laviada Ocejo, founding shareholders of Cross Border Xpress, to honor their contributions to U.S.-Mexico mobility in the Tijuana-San Diego region. The award is named for Ambassador Jeffrey Davidow, former U.S. ambassador to Mexico, and recognizes individuals who promote cooperation and understanding between the U.S. and Mexico.
“Thanks to their initiative, Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacífico and Cross Border Xpress have revitalized the region and, consequently, enhanced connectivity between Mexico and California,” Fernández de Castro said.
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