Press Release

Rep. Cuellar Announces Affiliation Agreement Between TAMIU and AFAZ

Agreement allows for collaborative educational programs between institutions

LAREDO, Texas, April 6, 2015 | Rafael Benavides ((956) 725-0639)
Congressman Henry Cuellar (D-TX28) has announced an agreement between Texas A&M International University (TAMIU) and the Assembly of Friends of Azerbaijan (AFAZ), an educational and cultural organization which aims to build bridges between the United States and the Republic of Azerbaijan, located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe.
The affiliation agreement signed today at the TAMIU Killam Library will allow these two instructions to collaborate on research, sponsorship of conferences and symposia exchanges of faculty and students, and education materials related to the international oil and gas industry.




Pictured above from left to right: TAMIU president Dr. Ray Keck, Mr. Kemal Oksuz,
Congressman Henry Cuellar, TAMIU provost and VP for academic affairs Dr. Pablo Arenaz

“As an alumnus and former professor of TAMIU, I’m pleased to see the university staying true to its international commitment by bringing together world-renowned scholarship and academia in order to examine and gain a better understanding of the petroleum industry world-wide,” said Congressman Cuellar. “South Texas has been blessed with an oil and gas boom and it is important that we provide a framework for our students in this important and growing industry.”
“Our students and faculty are looking forward to this new collaborative and the robust opportunities for both research and study in this important part of our world. As an international university, we are enormously interested in expanding our world of study for all and most appreciative to Cong. Cuellar for his leadership in this initiative with the Assembly of the Friends of Azerbaijan.” - Dr. Ray Keck, TAMIU President

"My thanks to Congressman Cuellar for his playing a very instrumental role for this affiliation. He is the cause of this TAMIU-AFAZ Affiliation Agreement. This agreement will give a very ample opportunity to TAMIU faculty and students not only they will study international energy law, politics of energy, environmental impacts and strategy management, but also they will meet and network with people from public and private sectors." – Dr. Kemal Oksuz
This partnership’s initial project will allow students and faculty at both TAMIU and Laredo Community College to participate in the Baku Summer Energy School, an annual two week certificate program held in July in Baku, Azerbaijan. Participants will be issued a certificate by the Azerbaijan Diplomatic Academy University.