The Guadalajara International Book Fair (FIL), a meeting place of ideas, books and the best in Spanish-language writing, welcomed a city as its Guest of Honor for the first time in 2009. The city, Los Angeles, is also where the University of Guadalajara is implementing one of its most important internationalization projects: the University of Guadalajara at Los Angeles (UDGLA). Hence, FIL was the ideal occasion for UDGLA to introduce a large number of people to the activities that it is currently promoting in Los Angeles County.

During the nine days of the fair (November 27-December 5), the University of Guadalajara at Los Angeles stand received hundreds of visitors of all ages, who met and spoke with our staff about the academic and cultural programs that UDGLA has been operating in Los Angeles since 2008.

Many expressed an interest in knowing about UDGLA’s campus in LA, because they had relatives or family members there. They were told that the plan to set up a campus in Los Angeles will be implemented in a few years, and meanwhile the program is reaching out to the Latino and Mexican population and giving them access to certificate programs, special courses, concerts, exhibitions, plays as well as puppet, musical, dance and multimedia shows featuring young Hispanic artists.

Cultura UDG and the Virtual University System had prepared a video for the FIL which showed the kinds of activities they are organizing in coordination with UDGLA, in addition to another video specifically about the UDGLA program.

Through UDG's Virtual University System, Jalisco natives living in Los Angeles who have not finished high school can enroll in an online program and earn a diploma from the University of Guadalajara. The same system also makes it possible to study for university degrees (in education, business, information technology, cultural management and biotechnology) and take a range of other courses.

UDGLA hosted two receptions at FIL which were attended by special guests who are familiar with and/or have worked in partnership with the program, including: Cuauhtémoc Cárdenas, chairman of Fundación para la Democracia, Alternativa y Debate, A.C., Ambassador Carlos García de Alba, executive director of the Institute for Mexicans Abroad (IME), Cándido Morales, IME president, Jose Luis Valenzuela, artistic director of the New LACT, Libier Jiménez, chair of the Federación de Clubes Jaliscienses del Sur de California, Carlos Rodríguez y Quezada, former Mexican ambassador to the ex-Yugoslavia, and Mexican singer Carina Ricco, in addition to others.