Sherry Kollmann Chancellor of NMSU Global | nmsu.edu
Sherry Kollmann Chancellor of NMSU Global | nmsu.edu
New Mexico State University (NMSU) has announced the introduction of a new Ph.D. program in Transborder and Global Dynamics, with applications open until December 1 for the inaugural cohort starting in fall 2025. This program aims to equip students with the necessary tools to research issues such as migration, asylum, human rights, and environmental pressures.
Neil Harvey, NMSU professor and head of the Department of Government, stated that the doctorate is designed to allow students to focus on important issues transcending borders while encouraging fieldwork that can lead to various career paths including academic roles and positions in nonprofit organizations or government sectors.
Glen Fetzer, professor and head of the Department of Languages and Linguistics at NMSU, emphasized the program's broad international dimension. "Although the U.S.-Mexico border is perhaps the key focus area," he said, "the program welcomes applicants whose expertise and experiences center on other borders worldwide: those in Africa, Europe, the Americas, and so on."
The development of this interdisciplinary program involved collaboration among NMSU’s government, anthropology, and languages and linguistics departments. Lois Stanford, professor and head of the Department of Anthropology at NMSU, highlighted that this initiative aligns with NMSU’s proximity to the U.S.-Mexico border. Stanford noted that "the whole experience of migration is not just something that we're dealing with now in terms of refugees," pointing out a long history in regions like Paso del Norte.
The Ph.D. program includes limited residency requirements as doctoral students will conduct field research but come together for colloquia at NMSU. The curriculum involves interdisciplinary focus areas such as cultural translation, migration studies, transnational public policy, environmental justice, food security, power dynamics, inequality, and racial injustice.
Harvey expressed hope that research from this program might result in new interpretations and solutions relevant not only to scholars in the U.S.-Mexico transborder region but also to other border communities globally. He remarked on the importance of supporting research addressing problems while recognizing diverse perspectives in borderland regions.
Enrico Pontelli, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at NMSU, praised the collaborative effort behind developing this new Ph.D. program. He described it as a "remarkable example of creativity" involving faculty and department heads working together.
The addition of this interdisciplinary Ph.D. is expected to assist NMSU in achieving R1 status by enhancing its research capabilities through increased doctoral degrees awarded.
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