El Colegio de la Frontera Norte (El Colef) is an institution of scientific research and graduate education which is part of the System of Public Centers for Research of the CONACYT (National Council for Science and Technology), Colef’s activities are governed by international standards of excellence. The research originating at COLEF is aimed at generating scientific knowledge about the social, economic, cultural, demographic, political, urban and environmental processes of the border area between Mexico and the United States. El Colegio de la Frontera Norte (Colef) is an institution dedicated to research and higher education. Its mission is to generate scientific knowledge of the Mexico-U.S. border region, to train highly qualified professionals, and to create institutional connections that will contribute to the development of the region.