EL PASO, Texas (AP) - The University of Texas at El Paso officially became the home of the National Center for Border Security and Immigration on Tuesday.

The center, a U.S Department of Homeland Security-supported research and degree program focused on producing border, homeland security and immigration experts, will be a partnership with the University of Arizona.

Retired Army Brigadier General Jose Riojas, executive director of the center at UTEP, lauded the program's launch at the second day of the fifth annual Border Security Conference.

"This is about aligning our intellectual capital ... with the needs of DHS," Riojas said. "They've given us a challenge to make a different and new approach."

Lt. Gen. William G. Webster, deputy Commander of U.S. Northern Command, said the program would become invaluable because of the changing security environment.

"Information and intelligence exchanges are also necessary," Webster said. "Homeland security is not just a Homeland Security or military concern. We need to prepare a condition of anticipation."

The center, with a six-year contract with the government, will be awarded about a $1 million a year, but Riojas said it will also give UTEP a chance to become a serious player in research and real-world solutions for security concerns. Center officials also hope to have an international presence in the future.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)