The Technological University of Hermosillo (UTH), Peñasco branch, will have its own new campus by next September following the donation of six hectares of land by San Rafael ejido (communal land) for its construction and operation, and as a start 24 million pesos will be invested for the project.

This was revealed by Mayor Alejandro Zepeda Munro in a press release about the development of the university’s new site planned to start in March, which will offer wider opportunities in the field of further education to young people in the municipality and region. So far since September 2007, the UTH has been running using the facilities of the Technological Institute of Puerto Peñasco (ITSPP), as part of the tourism academic corridor, which also includes Conalep and the CESUES.

The mayor was confident the construction would finish in time for the new campus to start classes by next September.

He went on to say that they had arrived at an agreement to set up another institution of higher education after meeting with the university’s director, Miguel Angel Salazar Candia. As a start, among the degrees to be offered at the UTH, Peñasco branch, will be University Technicians in Gastronomy, University Technicians in Marketing and University Paramedic Technicians.

The mayor reported that after talks with the San Rafael ejido, the ejido resolved to join in the effort and they received the ejido’s cooperation to realize the plan by making available six hectares of land needed for the development of the campus.

Mayor Zepeda and Miguel Angel Salazar together conveyed their appreciation to José de Jesús Mercado Celaya, ejido president, for his tolerance shown, so that it will be possible to start study courses by September.

Zepeda Munro stressed the importance of a new college in Puerto Peñasco, saying that students will greatly benefit from having a university that charges a fixed fee of about 500 pesos for every semester.

Salazar Candia said that they would start advertising in May for those interested in joining the institution. Enrollment will require among others a high-school degree, birth certificate, CURP ID and 6 small-sized photographs.

The UTH director and the city leader disclosed that 18 million pesos would be allocated for the development of the building and another 6,381,000 pesos for equipment. The project will open about 200 jobs.