The Government of Mexico Renews its Pledge of Scholarships for OAS Member States
The
first call of 2014 for scholarships for postgraduate studies in
science and engineering in Mexico is now open. The Scholarship
Program is offered by the Mexican government to OAS Member States
through its National Council for Science and Technology (CONACYT)
and the Mexican Agency for International Development Cooperation
(AMEXCID).
The announcement of the
CONACYT-OAS-AMEXCID Scholarship Program 2014, the second one
since the agreement was formalized in July 2013, was made on
February 10, 2014 by José Miguel Insulza, OAS Secretary General;
Emilio Rabasa, Permanent Representative of Mexico to the OAS, and
Dolores Sánchez Soler, Adjunct Director for Postgraduate Studies and
Scholarships of CONACYT. Secretary General Insulza highlighted that
in its development related work, the Organization “concentrates
fundamentally on the training of human resources and institutional
strengthening.” In this sense, he stressed that “through
scholarships for higher education, we can offer our citizens better
and more sophisticated tools to address new global challenges and
promote scientific and technological development in the Americas.”
The CONACYT-OAS-AMEXCID Scholarship Program offers the opportunity
to study Specializations, Masters and PhD programs in Mexico while
receiving a monthly stipend for subsistence, health insurance, a
one-time grant for installation expenses, and the possibility to
obtain tuition waivers and the option of doing part of the study
program with the scholarship abroad, including the student’s country
of origin. This last component is unique to this program and gives
students an opportunity to maintain ties with their own country, and
to further apply their research and projects to their countries’
development priorities.
Through the scholarships program, the Mexican government intends to
“contribute to regional integration through the exchange and flow of
students through all of our countries” declared Ms. Sánchez Soler
from CONACYT, who also announced that efforts are being made to
further support and increase enrollment from native English
speakers.
The program’s focus on science and technology is consistent with
Mexico’s current administration’s efforts to make progress in this
area, as stated by Ambassador Emilio Rabasa from Mexico, who
recalled that President Enrique Peña Nieto is committed to
“increasing investments in science and technology to 1% of gross
domestic product.” Ambassador Rabasa highlighted the program as “an
example of the collaboration between Mexico and the OAS, and a clear
demonstration of the will of my country to strengthen the links of
cooperation in the Americas.”
In 2013, a total of 120 scholarships were granted to students from
12 OAS Member States - 78 for graduate studies and 42 for doctoral
studies. Fellows are currently attending universities and research
centers of excellence in Mexico and completing programs that are
accredited by the CONACYT.
"When I return to my country, I will be
able to use the acquired knowledge towards the development of
scientific research projects, which is critical to raising the
academic standards of the universities in my country"
Luis Silvestre Vaca Oyola, a 24 year old civil engineer
from Bolivia, is in his second semester of the Master of
Advanced Technology at the National Polytechnic Institute (IPN)
of Mexico D.F. with support from the scholarship program.
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