Mexican Goverment International Scholarships, Mexican Universities

Mexico. Scholarships are awarded for bachelor’s degree studies, postgraduate studies (master’s degrees, doctorates, and specialties), postgraduate research and postdoctoral visits for academic purposes, and for visiting professors and experts, as well as to study the Spanish language and Mexican culture in the country’s public institutions taking part in this Call.

The scholarships are provided by The Foreign Ministry of Mexican Goverment. The Scholarships are not open to foreigners residing in Mexico. Foreign diplomats accredited in Mexico and their family members do not qualify as eligible candidates.

Scholarships are offered in the areas of knowledge specified in the programs of this Call. Scholarships are not offered in odontology, plastic surgery, marketing, accounting, advertising, and business administration. In the field of medicine, scholarships are awarded only in the areas of the Hospitals and Institutes established under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Ministry of Health Program.

Scholarships’ Candidates Profiles:

Preference will be given to the following candidatures:

• Candidates whose studies focus on themes of priority for their country’s development
• Candidates who work in areas of particular importance for institutional development.
• Candidates intending to pursue postgraduate studies included on the National Register of Postgraduates of the Comprehensive Program for the Strengthening of Postgraduate Studies and the CONACYT Excellence Register. Each Program in the Call specifies the areas of study that are offered.
• Candidates wishing to take postgraduates studies not available in their own countries.
• Candidates who wish to take studies or conduct research at institutions located in states throughout the Mexican Republic.
• Candidates who are professors or researchers at public higher education institutions and scientific research centers.
• Candidates who are government officials in charge of areas or programs of special interest to their countries.
• Candidates who work on projects for human, social, or economic development that target marginalized groups or areas which are socially or economically depressed

Scholarships are granted for a period of up to one year. In the case of bachelors’, masters’, doctorates, and medical specialties and subspecialties, scholarships may – after evaluation – be extended in accordance with the study plans and programs of the Mexican academic institutions. The duration of studies is established in each one of the programs in this Call.

Scholarship grantees must guarantee conclusion of their thesis within the normal period of their study program since no additional extensions shall be granted for thesis completion beyond the timeline of said programs once the study program has been completed.

Scholarships for postgraduate research and postdoctoral visits shall have a maximum duration of one year and under no circumstances will they be extended beyond that period. For the remaining programs, the scholarship duration is specified in each case.

Selection Criteria

• Academic excellence of the candidate and of the receiving Mexican institution.
• Quality of the studies to be pursued in Mexico.
• Importance of the studies and their direct influence on the development of the candidate’s country.
• Relationship between candidates’ academic and professional backgrounds.
• Reintegration of candidates into their countries’ labor market on completion of the scholarship.
• Connection between the studies and projects underway or already approved, as well as their impact on the development of candidates’ countries.
• Specific application of the knowledge acquired.

The final decision regarding scholarship awards rests with the General Directorate for Cultural Affairs and shall not be open to appeal.

General Requirements

• Meet the specific requirements stipulated in the Call for SRE Scholarships for Foreigners (International Scholarships).
• Have the academic acceptance of the receiving Mexican institution 12
• Have a Bachelor’s degree, Master’s degree or doctorate, depending on the type of studies they intend to pursue.
• Have a GPA of 8, on a scale of 1 to 10, or equivalent.
• Return to his/her country of origin upon conclusion of the scholarship and remain there for a period equal to the duration period of the scholarship .

The specific requirements are established in each of the Programs and should be read carefully.

Scholarship Benefits

1. Enrollment and school fees.
2. Monthly allowance equal to:

• 4 minimum D.F. (Federal District-Mexico City) wages for a Specialty, Bachelor’s, and Master’s or Master’s research, as well as for studies in the Spanish language and Mexican culture. This currently amounts to $5, 840.40 pesos.
• 5 D.F. minimum wages for a doctorate or doctoral research, as well as postdoctoral visits, medical specialties or subspecialties, and expert and artistic visits. This currently amounts to $7,300.50 pesos.

3. Full coverage medical insurance from the Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS), effective as of the third month of the scholarship, as long as scholarship grantees comply with the delivery of the documentation requested in due time and form in order to proceed with their admission into the IMSS system.
4. At the beginning of the scholarship, transportation from Mexico City to the city of the academic institution where the grantee is to study, and transportation from there back to Mexico City upon termination of the scholarship.
5. International air travel costs will only be paid to nationals of countries with which Mexico has a reciprocal agreement covering the international air travel of scholarship grantees, and, to grantees whose program in this Call includes it.

Any expenses not stipulated in the foregoing shall be payable by the scholarship grantee, including: costs involving printing of the thesis; study incorporation and revalidation costs; graduation and degree-procurement processing fees; costs of registration in the National Register of Foreigners; and visa renewal fees.

The scholarships for 2008 will be awarded by the SRE, through its General Directorate for Cultural Affairs. Scholarship grantees shall be notified between November 15, 2008 and February 29, 2009.

The results will be delivered in writing at the corresponding Mexican Embassy. Successful candidates shall only be entitled to receive their scholarships once they have obtained written confirmation of the award, pursuant to the terms and dates of which they are notified by the Mexican Embassy.

Scholarships are non-transferable to other individuals and may not be deferred for any school years other than those originally stipulated.

Application Deadline: July 31, 2008.

For further details about this scholarships scheme (including available areas of study, available universities and application form) you may please download and read the 2008 call’s official scholarships announcement document (pdf, 299 page).

Editor note: the document consists some mistyping of ‘the Year’. This is probably because the officer (from the scholarships provider) used and edit the previous call (2007) documents instead of writing the new one .