The Government of Canada remains committed to ensuring that young Canadians receive the education and training they need to prepare for the jobs of today and tomorrow. International education is at the heart of Canada’s current and future prosperity and will help to strengthen the middle class and those working to join it.
Canada and Mexico have well-established and growing cooperation in education collaboration supported by over 400 inter-institutional agreements between Canadian and Mexican higher education institutions, as well as significant collaboration between Canadian provinces and territories and Mexican states. Both governments also offer scholarships to attract students or researchers from the other country. Memoranda of understanding on educational cooperation (1998) and on youth mobility (2010) lay the groundwork for this collaboration.
At the 11th Canada-Mexico Partnership meeting in November 2015, the Human Capital Working Group concluded that improved linkages between industry and academia are desirable.
Under the Emerging Leaders in the Americas Program (ELAP), the Government of Canada provides approximately 75 to 100 scholarships annually for Mexican postsecondary students to study or conduct research in Canada for up to six months. For academic year 2015-2016, 98 Mexican students received an ELAP scholarship to study in colleges and universities across Canada. Since 2009, nearly 600 Mexicans have come to Canada under this program.
Today, Prime Minister Trudeau and President Peña Nieto welcomed the signing of a bilateral industrial research mobility agreement between Mitacs, a national, not-for-profit organization that funds research and training, and Mexico’s National Council for Science and Technology (CONACyT). This agreement will allow for the mobility of up to 20 Mexican graduate students to go to Canada and up to 20 Canadian graduate students to go to Mexico under the Globalink Partnership Award program. The Mitacs Globalink Partnership Award program offers recipients the opportunity to participate in a 16- to 24-week research project with an international industry partner.
The leaders discussed an international work-integrated learning opportunity partnership that will allow more young Canadians and Mexicans to have access to meaningful work at the beginning of their careers.
The leaders also welcomed the signing of a memorandum of understanding between CALDO, a consortium of Canadian research universities, and Mexico’s National Association of Universities and Higher Education Institutions (ANUIES) to promote academic, scientific and cultural activities in areas of common interest.
The leaders welcomed the signing of a collaboration agreement between Colleges and Institutes Canada and ANUIES to establish a framework for collaboration on applied research in higher education.
As well, the leaders welcomed the news that a consortium of 12 Canadian postsecondary institutions specializing in Indigenous issues is formalizing its relationship with Mexico’s 12 intercultural universities for enhanced collaboration supporting Indigenous youth and women in both countries through joint education activities.
Finally, the leaders welcomed the signature of two documents between Lakehead University and CONACyT (Mexico’s National Council for Science and Technology): a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in higher education including academic programs for Indigenous/Aboriginal women and an agreement to establish joint graduate scholarships to support Mexican students accepted in masters and Ph.D. programs at Lakehead University. Lakehead University students would also be eligible for funding to carry out research at CONACyT-certified higher education institutions in Mexico.
Canada’s International Education Strategy has identified Mexico as one of six key priority markets that will help Canada build on its already strong advantages and become more prosperous, innovative and competitive by capitalizing on the vast opportunities that currently exist.