A mainstream understanding of Mexico comes from history lessons, headlines or popular media, but as the 11th-most populous country, contemporary Mexico has a lot more to teach us.

“It’s going to be more about contemporary Mexico,” said Rogelio Garcia Contreras, teaching assistant professor of strategy, entrepreneurship and venture innovation, speaking about his 2025 Honors College Signature Seminar. “Obviously, we are going to explore history a little bit, to understand the context and to understand the country, the people, the demographics, but the course will focus more on contemporary Mexico.”

Contreras will be providing a broad overview of contemporary Mexico at a public preview lecture, “Mexico,” at noon Wednesday, Feb. 19, in Gearhart Hall 258.

Mexico’s longest land border is the one it shares with the United States. The two countries also have a robust trade relationship, a complex history of conflict and shared social and economic challenges.

“All of these things matter,” Conteras noted. “I think it's important to understand [our neighbor] to the south and the [ways in which] both nations influence each other, culturally, politically, ideologically and economically.”

Contreras pointed out that U.S.-Mexico relations have evolved over time, often leading citizens of each country to develop romanticized or stereotyped views of the other.

“We share so many things, and yet we have these stereotypes and these perceptions that are not necessarily wrong, but at the very least are incomplete,” he shared.

Just as the U.S. consists of 50 states and at least seven distinct geographical and cultural regions, Mexico spans 761,610 square miles and is made up of 32 states.

Contreras shared that he plans to incorporate interactive materials in his fall course that will provide students the opportunity to gain multiple perspectives. Input from recognized authors, historians and politicians, including interviews with members of the current government as well as Mexican citizens, will leave students with a deeper understanding of the country’s complexity.

“I want to bring the diversity of Mexico and the Mexican experience to the classroom,” Contreras said. “Mexico is a country where Spanish is spoken, yet there are 62 live native languages recognized by the government. I want to bring that indigenous experience to the classroom.”

There's never been an uninteresting time to talk about Mexico, but Contreras said he hopes to include as many current events as possible in his class discussions. He went on to say the timeliness of the topic was a driver behind the creation of the course.

“The relevance of Mexico in the news is limited to certain topics and affairs,” Contreras explained. “Many positive developments shaping the country are sometimes overlooked.”

By investigating diverse and complex topics about the economy, demographics and cultures of Mexico, Contreras also hopes to share the possibilities Mexico offers in careers and professional development and encourage questions about a range of interdisciplinary subject matter.

“I want to bring light to these other aspects that we are missing,” Contreras said. “What do you want to know about Mexico? Do you want to know about the Mexican Space Agency that probably many people don't know exists? Petrochemicals? Or the Mexican government’s electric vehicle program? The discourse that is being built on one side of the border relates to the other. I think on both sides the topics are incomplete.”

SIGNATURE SEMINARS EXPLORE DIVERSE TOPICS 

Mexico is one of three Honors College Signature Seminars scheduled for fall 2025. The other courses offered are:

In Totality— taught by Daniel Kennefick, professor of physics.

Food Matters — taught by Jennie Popp, associate dean of the Honors College; Margaret Sova McCabe, vice chancellor for research and innovation; and Curt Rom, University Professor of horticulture.

The dean of the Honors Colleges nominates top research faculty to participate in this program, and those selected to teach will become Dean’s Fellows in the Honors College.

Honors students must apply to participate, and those selected will be designated Dean’s Signature Scholars. The course application is posted online on the Signature Seminars web page. The deadline to apply is March 13, 2025, at 5 p.m.

ABOUT ROGELIO GARCIA CONTRERAS 

Contreras is a teaching faculty member, leading social innovation initiatives at the Department of Strategy, Entrepreneurship and Venture Innovation in the Sam M. Walton College of Business at the U of A. He holds a doctoral degree from the Josef Korbel School of International Studies at the University of Denver. His teaching experience includes public and private institutions of higher education in Mexico, China, Spain, Chile and the United States.

In 2015, Contreras served as a consultant during a development and gender equality summit organized by the Vatican’s Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace. He served for three years as a member of a UNESCO Steering Committee on the sustainability of peace. He was part of the Holy See Dicasterio’s Banking for the Poor Conference Series, and he has collaborated with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.

He was a visiting professor at the Master of Microfinance and Impact Investment at the Universidad Autonóma de Madrid and a member of the Cathedra UNESCO at Universidad Abat Oliba in Barcelona. He serves as an adviser and board member of several social impact organizations worldwide and is the co-host of Points of Departure, a podcast produced in collaboration with KUAF 91.3 FM, the Northwest Arkansas affiliate of National Public Radio.

About the Honors College: The University of Arkansas Honors College was established in 2002 and brings together high-achieving undergraduate students and the university’s top professors to share transformative learning experiences. Each year the Honors College awards up to 90 freshman fellowships that provide $80,000 over four years, and more than $1 million in undergraduate research and study abroad grants. The Honors College is nationally recognized for the high caliber of students it admits and graduates. Honors students enjoy small, in-depth classes, and programs are offered in all disciplines, tailored to students’ academic interests, with interdisciplinary collaborations encouraged. All Honors College graduates have engaged in mentored research.

About the University of Arkansas: As Arkansas' flagship institution, the U of A provides an internationally competitive education in more than 200 academic programs. Founded in 1871, the U of A contributes more than $3 billion to Arkansas’ economy through the teaching of new knowledge and skills, entrepreneurship and job development, discovery through research and creative activity while also providing training for professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the U of A among the few U.S. colleges and universities with the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the U of A among the top public universities in the nation. See how the U of A works to build a better world at Arkansas Research and Economic Development News.