The U.S. Department of State renewed its Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU), as part of its celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month and its long-standing commitment to the Hispanic community. The signing by Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken and HACU President Antonio Flores, Ph.D., reinforces the Department’s aim to increase diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility, and support for traditionally underserved communities in the United States. For more than 20 years through this agreement, the Department and HACU have been working to attract Hispanic students to internships, fellowships, and careers in the foreign affairs community. Encouraging more diverse scholars and students to apply for Department of State programs and activities such as the Fulbright Program, Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program, Critical Language Scholarships, and more, raises awareness of these opportunities for students, faculty, and staff at HACU member institutions to study and learn abroad.
People-to-people connections build foundations of understanding and are important for a free, open, secure, and prosperous world. The more Hispanic communities are a part of the State Department’s diplomatic and development work and the more international students and scholars study and research at HSI’s, the more relationships will be created, as reinforced by the MOU.
It has received special recognition from U.S. Senator Bob Menendez of New Jersey, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, who stated the following:
"As the highest-ranking Latino in the U.S. Congress and the first Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee of Latino descent, one of my top priorities has been to increase diversity in our diplomatic community. As such, I am incredibly pleased Secretary Blinken is signing this important agreement with the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities. As indicated at the recent Senate Committee hearing I convened on the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion in international affairs, a diplomatic corps that reflects the rich diversity of our country will only strengthen our national security and advance American values around the world. By creating a framework to recruit the next generation of foreign policy professionals, this signing will bring the State Department critical steps closer to making that promise a reality. Our nation desperately needs students and others interested in foreign affairs as we seek to create a more prosperous and peaceful world in the twenty-first century. I hope this inspires and supports young Americans to explore these opportunities and join me on the international stage.”
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