Conference on international education in Mexico
28 nov 2011
Mr Han Dommers, head of Nuffic’s Education Promotion department and Janneke de Geus, director of Nuffic Neso Mexico, attended the 19th Annual Conference on international education in San Luis Potosí, Mexico, which was held from 2 to 4 November.
The Asociación Mexicana para la Educación Internacional (AMPEI) had organised this conference for staff from international offices of Mexican universities. The conference theme was “A new decade: scenarios and trends in international education”.
Mexican universities keen to internationalise
Although the Mexican government considers internationalisation of higher education a priority, it has not yet implemented a clear strategy. The Mexican universities gathered in AMPEI are clearly eager to become more active internationally, also through institutional cooperation.
Holland is seen as a good destination
Due to the safety concerns, Mexico is currently not the most attractive destination for international students. However, an increasing number of Mexican students want to study abroad. They admire the fact that so many Dutch research universities have an international ranking. Last year, the number of Mexican students in Holland rose from 291 to 338.
Beyond the clichés
The Netherlands is famous in Mexico for its football and Gouda cheese. But other aspects of Dutch culture and economy are also renowned. Mexicans are, for example, very interested in Dutch water management expertise, possibly due to the fact that the central valley where Mexico City is located was once a lake.
Mexican students can add value
Mexican students can add value to international classrooms. A contest, organised by Nuffic Neso Mexico, showed that, for example, there are many Mexican students with good design skills.
Honour
Nuffic has been invited to this conference for several years thanks to its Netherlands Education Support Office (Nuffic Neso) in Mexico City. The AMPEI conference was mainly a national event, but there were also some international guests, including EducationUSA and DAAD.
Nuffic Neso network
Han Dommers gave a well received presentation on higher education promotion abroad. This presentation will also be published by AMPEI as an article. It was an honour for Nuffic to be present and show how it stimulates internationalisation in higher education, through its Neso network. The Nuffic Neso network covers locations that are strategically important for Dutch higher education.