Shipra Gupta, associate professor and chairperson of the Management, Marketing and Operations Department at the University of Illinois Springfield, recently traveled to Mexico as part of a faculty mobility fellowship at Tecnológico de Monterrey (TEC), one of the nation's leading private universities.

Gupta visited Monterrey from May 25-29 through the University of Illinois System's I-MMÁS: Mexican and Mexican American Students Initiative. During the fellowship, she taught classes, conducted workshops, presented research and explored future opportunities for collaboration between UIS and TEC.

"I was honored to be selected for a prestigious short-term Faculty Mobility Fellowship in 2026," Gupta said. "The visit successfully advanced teaching, research, internationalization and accreditation-related objectives while fostering stronger academic and professional connections between the participating institutions."

During her visit, Gupta taught two International Marketing classes focused on globalization, international markets and cross-cultural business practices. She said the classes generated strong student engagement and created opportunities to discuss higher education and career opportunities in the United States.

"Students expressed interest in pursuing educational and professional opportunities in the United States and asked questions regarding graduate study options, career pathways and employment opportunities," Gupta said. "These interactions provided an excellent opportunity to share information about higher education at UIS and foster greater awareness of international academic and professional opportunities."

Gupta also conducted four workshops during her visit. Two workshops for TEC's Marketing Department focused on digital analytics and data-driven marketing decision-making, providing faculty with insights into emerging analytical tools and marketing strategies. She also presented two research-focused workshops at EGADE Business School, Tecnológico de Monterrey's graduate business school, where she shared her research on consumer behavior, retailing and sustainability.

One of the most significant outcomes of the visit was the development of new research partnerships with faculty members at TEC and EGADE.

"One of the most significant outcomes of the visit was the strengthening of research relationships with several TEC and EGADE faculty members," Gupta said. "These interactions resulted in the identification of potential collaborative research projects and opportunities for future scholarly engagement."

In addition to teaching and research activities, Gupta met with university administrators and faculty leaders to discuss accreditation practices. Drawing on her experience, she shared insights related to assurance of learning, faculty qualifications and continuous improvement initiatives that support institutional excellence.

Gupta also visited TEC's Neuro Lab to explore potential interdisciplinary research collaborations involving consumer behavior and marketing research. Discussions with faculty and administrators also identified opportunities for future student exchanges between TEC and UIS as TEC transitions from a five-week module system to longer eight- and 16-week course formats that more closely align with international academic structures.

Gupta said she plans to continue building relationships established during the fellowship.

"We are now actively pursuing many research collaborations," she said.

Gupta credited Nancy Ortiz Alvarado of TEC and Elvira González de Mejía, founder and executive director of the University of Illinois System's I-MMÁS initiative, for supporting the fellowship and related academic activities.

The University of Illinois System's I-MMÁS initiative seeks to increase the recruitment of Mexican and Mexican American students while building partnerships with Mexican academic, research and private-sector institutions. The fellowship was part of TEC's Faculty Mobility Program, which supports short-term visits by faculty from partner institutions to foster collaboration in teaching, research and academic engagement.