The Southwest Center provides a platform for cross-disciplinary regional studies through a vigorous publication program; support and creation of research initiatives on the Greater Southwest (including northwest Mexico); public outreach and transborder programming, including conferences, seminars, field trips, and cultural events; and teaching in the Department of English (folklore) and School of Architecture (urbanism and architectural preservation). Southwest Center initiatives are designed for their multiplier effects on the research, teaching and outreach mission of the University, creating new opportunities for interdisciplinary and binational scholarship.

The Center sponsors the Southwest Center Book series with the University of Arizona Press, as well as an imprint ("A University of Arizona Southwest Center Book") with the University of New Mexico Press, and publishes Journal of the Southwest, a scholarly regional quarterly.

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