Strategic Partners

The Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word are the beloved founders of the University of the Incarnate Word. CCVI is the Latin abbreviation of the Congregation and stands for Congregatio (Sororum) Caritatis a Verbo Incarnato. The Congregation’s work began in Texas in 1869 when the original three Sisters were called to go to San Antonio to establish Santa Rosa, the first Catholic hospital in the area.  Since then, CCVI has developed a remarkable international network of ministries that includes schools at all levels, from kindergarten to university, and a health system of hospices, community clinics and hospitals. In Latin America, their ministries extend into Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Perú. For more information about the Sisters and their invaluable work, please go to https://www.amormeus.org/en/.

The City of San Antonio’s Global Engagement Office serves as San Antonio’s front door to the rest of the world. Its roles include hosting international dignitaries, advising and training local agencies on international projects, and developing relationships with San Antonio’s sister cities. As part of the City’s long history of international work in the Americas, the Latin American Engagement Task Force was developed, focusing at this time on developing connections and collaborations particularly with the nations of Colombia and Panama. Lewis Center Director, Dr. Rafael Hoyle, sits on the task force. For more information about the Global Engagement Office, go to https://www.sanantonio.gov/IRO.

The San Antonio Mexico Friendship Council is a nonprofit organization founded in 1996 by the then Consul General of Mexico in San Antonio, Carlos Sada, and various prominent community leaders to strengthen and promote the shared cultural ties between San Antonio and Mexico. The organization supports myriad cultural and civic activities along with the Mexican Consulate and the Mexican Cultural Institute in San Antonio. SAMFCO also provides students of Mexican origin attending colleges and universities in the San Antonio area with scholarships to further their education. For more information about SAMFCO, visit http://samfco.org/.

SACIV is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3), founded in 1989, that arranges professional programming and home hospitality for emerging international leaders who have been selected by the U.S. State Department's International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) to come to the United States. Hundreds of these international visitors come to San Antonio each year, providing opportunities to the community for fostering economic development and cross-cultural understanding. In addition to meeting with area professionals in their fields and exploring the local culture of San Antonio, international visitors are invited into the homes of SACIV members or hosted for meals or special excursions, giving them invaluable firsthand experience with everyday Americans. For more information about SACIV, please visit https://www.sacivtx.org/.

Centro Fox is an institution committed to training compassionate leaders through social values to create a better world. Founded by former Mexican president Vicente Fox and first lady Marta Sahagún de Fox, the Center is located on the historic ranch property of the Fox family in the state of Guanajuato, which now serves to house a multi-use facility for the Center’s events and educational programs, alongside the Fox presidential library.  In March of 2022, when President Fox and First Lady Marta visited UIW’s San Antonio campus for Lewis Center’s Leaders of the Americas Speaker Series, they signed an agreement of collaboration with the University to facilitate the development of joint educational programs. For more information about Centro Fox, please visit https://www.centrofox.org.mx/en/.

Since the 2015 founding of the Universidad Incarnate Word’s Campus Bajío Campus in the city of Irapuato, UIW’s ties to the communities of the State of Guanajuato have become an integral part of the UIW system’s foundation. The valued support of the Guanajuato State government has facilitated our development of these ties, and we work particularly closely with four secretariats of the State government system: Secretariat of Migrant & International Affairs, Secretariat of Education, Secretariat of Tourism, and Secretariat of Health. Lewis Center Director Dr. Rafael Hoyle is a member of the Campus Bajío Board of Directors, and his involvement has led to Lewis Center relationships with these four secretarías.

The San Antonio chapter of the Asociación de Empresarios Mexicanos promotes the innovation and progress of companies that do business between Mexico and San Antonio, while strengthening the ties between the U.S. and Mexico, and the dialogue between businesses and government authorities.

The presence and influence of the renowned Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México extends well beyond Mexico’s borders, and certainly that presence is felt in the United States. UNAM San Antonio is a shining example of the UNAM’s U.S. network of branch campuses. In fulfillment of UNAM’s mission, UNAM San Antonio focuses on the three main areas: teaching, research and the dissemination of culture. Through our partnership with UNAM San Antonio, their terrific cultural events are available to the UIW faculty, students and staff. For more information about UNAM San Antonio, please visit https://unamsa.edu/.

The Texas Water Mission (TWM) has been creating clean water solutions for communities in need since 2003. Their projects have provided over 75,000 people with water, sanitation and hygiene (in the form of wells, cisterns, water filters, and health and hygiene training. Lewis Center Fellow Dr. James Creagan sits on the TWM’s Executive Team and has been instrumental to the ongoing project to dig water wells in underserved Honduran villages. The project was initiated in response to the devastation caused by Hurricane Mitch back in 1998, which led to water quality problems and the outbreak of a cholera epidemic. Dr. Creagan was the U.S. ambassador to Honduras during the hurricane and was instrumental in executing the immediate emergency response, leveraging and helping to coordinate the resources of the U.S. military’s Southern Command. For more information about the TWM, please visit https://www.texaswatermission.org/.

The World Affairs Council of San Antonio (WACOFSA) was chartered in July 1982. It is a not-for-profit and non-partisan citizen’s educational forum focusing on foreign policy issues that affect our lives directly. It is a member of the World Affairs Councils of America but is entirely local in governing and support. It services all individuals and organizations interested in its goals. WACOFSA strives to promote public understanding of world affairs and United States foreign policy and to enhance the ability of its citizens and future leaders to participate in a global community. It accomplishes its mission by presenting lectures, organizing discussion groups, sponsoring educational outreach programs, and hosting deliberative sessions for young professionals. For more information about WACOFSA, please visit https://wacofsa.org