THUNDER BAY – As Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto met in Ottawa, June 28, Lakehead University President & Vice-Chancellor Dr. Brian Stevenson and the National Council of Science and Technology of the United Mexican States (CONACyT) Director Dr. Enrique Cabrero Mendoza signed two significant agreements to promote scientific and technological cooperation, to fund Mexican graduate students to come to Lakehead University for masters and doctoral programs, and to establish an English language program for Mexican Indigenous women.
“These agreements are the culmination of several years of work with Mexican education institutions and government agencies, I am particularly proud to sign an agreement with such a prestigious government agency. These agreements will further enhance the research, teaching, and learning opportunities and experiences we offer our institutions’ respective students and faculty, while promoting Indigenous student mobility between our countries,” Dr. Stevenson.
CONACyT’s purpose is to promote and strengthen the scientific development and technological modernization of Mexico. It achieves this by providing scholarships to graduate-level Mexican students, as well as managing the country’s Sistema Nacional de Investigadores (translated, “National System of Researchers”).
Dr. Cabrero mentioned that the two agreements addressed issues of great relevance for Mexico’s policy in science and innovation. “Because of the energy reform the Mexican Congress passed recently, we urgently need qualified human resources to respond to the new situation we are facing in renewable and non renewable energies,” he said. “On the other hand, opening up opportunities of graduate education abroad for Mexican Indigenous women is one of CONACYT’s priorities.”
The agreements’ objective is to establish cooperation activities in different areas of interest, such as a program for Mexican Indigenous Women.
To achieve this objective, the following potential cooperation agreements are outlined in order to help promote collaboration between Lakehead University and CONACyT:
- English Language Training for Indigenous women;
- Biotechnology and Agricultural Sciences;
- Biology and chemistry;
- Medicine and health;
- Energy;
- Environment;
- Earth Sciences;
- Industrial manufacturing technologies;
- Materials;
- Nanotechnology;
- Information technology and telecommunications; and
- Applied mathematics and modelling.
During the 2015-2016 academic year, Lakehead University hosted approximately 40 Mexican students in various programs. Many of these students arrived through partnerships with various Mexican Indigenous universities.
