The Mexican government, via the Foreign Ministry, carries out diverse activities in a flexible manner that are consistent with its goal of strengthening its role in the global arena. Therefore, the Foreign Ministry maintains its commitment to a policy of diversifying the ties that confirm Mexico as a country with multiple affinities.

In order to fulfill the strategic goals of the 2001-2006 National Development Plan regarding foreign policy, the Foreign Ministry—via the Unit of Cultural Affairs—has demonstrated great dynamism in encouraging the creation of human capital through programs of cooperation in the field of education.

Investment in education is the best strategy to promote national development and is one of the Mexican government’s principal mechanisms of international cooperation.

One of the most important challenges to national development is to constantly improve the quality of education. For this reason, agreements and programs of educational and cultural cooperation have been signed that include various scholarship programs (among other programs). Mexico receives offers from foreign governments and international organizations to train human resources in areas of priority for the country. In addition, Mexico offers scholarships to foreigners to give them access to very prestigious Mexican institutions and so that visiting experts and professors can participate in various programs of academic cooperation and scientific research.

Cooperation in education and, especially, human resource training are an important way of fomenting national development and the intercultural dialogue that Mexico maintains with the rest of the world. The participation of visiting experts, professors, students and researchers not only enriches the Mexican institutions that receive them but also has a multiplier effect by contributing to a better understanding of contemporary Mexico as a pluralistic and dynamic country in other nations at the same time that it enriches knowledge abroad of our society and culture.

In the area of educational cooperation, Mexico’s dual status as receptor and supplier of cooperation enables the country to collaborate with more-developed nations and with international organizations, and to offer support to countries of relatively lower levels of development, as well as to put together horizontal exchange programs with nations at a similar developmental level.

The dialogue between nations is for Mexico a way to enrich its own culture and identity and for this reason Mexico assigns great importance to the training of human resources and to the mobility of experts and researchers.

The Mexican government opens the 2006 scholarship selection process in conformity with Mexico’s commitments with other countries and international organizations to enable foreign students can study at the post-graduate level or undertake specialized research. The scholarships also include various programs for experts.

The mobility of post-graduate students and professors contributes to development between nations and makes the participants interested in sharing the knowledge and experience they have acquired.

This year’s scholarships include 98 programs that cover almost all areas of knowledge. There is a series of specific programs that directly involve various Mexican institutions of higher education and research, mostly public ones, which in turn have the participation of important private institutions.

The 2006 scholarships include special programs in those areas in which Mexico can offer valuable alternatives, amongst which are high-level conferences and special courses for conference participants and visiting professors.

The scholarship guidelines can be seen on the following website: http://becas.Mexican Foreign Ministry (SRE).gob.mx

Individuals interested in obtaining detailed information on the institutions of higher education and research in Mexico should go to: www.anuies.mx, www.conacyt.mx, www.edumexico.org and www.studymexico.