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MIT-Mexico Celebrates Year of International Collaboration, Learning

The founding members of MIT-Mexico. Top row, from left: Guillermo Hijar, Adrian Gonzalez SM '97, Pedro Aspe PhD '78, Michael Piore, and Adrian Yovanovich '83. Front row, from left: Harish Dadoo '77, Jorge Hierro, Luis Videgaray, Alejandro Lombardo MBA '97, and Sergio Sanchez.

MIT-Mexico, the newest international internship and exchange program of MIT International Science and Technology Initiatives (MISTI), celebrated its one-year anniversary on July 19 in Mexico City with a gala sponsored by one of Mexico's largest banks, Banamex. More than 100 alumni and guests representing the MIT clubs of Monterrey and Mexico City as well as Mexican industry, government, and universities gathered at the historic Palacio de los Condes de San Mateo de Valparaíso. The event was intended to celebrate and thank those who initiated the program and also attract new companies and individuals as participants.

Four Mexican undergraduates (all named Carlos, coincidentally) proposed the idea for MIT-Mexico to MISTI, which already has programs in China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, and Singapore. Since 1994, MISTI has placed more than 1,500 MIT students in three- to 12-month internships in labs and offices. Students take intensive language and culture classes prior to their internships.

MIT Chancellor Phillip L. Clay, in his keynote address, lauded MIT-Mexico for engaging alumni, providing transformational activities for students, and connecting students' passions and skills with the corporate world.

MIT-Mexico, since its founding one year ago, has received significant support from Mexican MIT alumni who worked with key people in industry and government to provide financial backing. Adrian Gonzalez SM '97, then president of the MIT Club of Mexico, spearheaded efforts to secure not only funding but companies with specialized needs that can benefit from MIT's resources. MIT-Mexico offers internships for MIT students in Mexico and encourages Mexican nationals to participate in joint research programs as visiting scholars at MIT.

Last year, the program sponsored one student intern in Mexico; this year, nine students are working in companies such as Banco de México, the Comision Federal de Electricidad, Metalsa, and Macimex. In addition, some students are performing research at the U.S.-Mexico Foundation for Science and the prestigious Tecnologico de Monterrey.

Mexican researchers who serve as visiting scholars are supported by the Mexican government through Mexico's Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnologia (CONACYT), which is similar to the U.S. National Science Foundation. This year the MIT-Mexico Program awarded grants to support five different research projects in diverse fields: biology, biological engineering, civil engineering, computer science, and physics.

This summer, some 200 students are participating in MISTI programs working in industry, education, and research.

August 9, 2005