U.S. Encourages students to Study in Mexico

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JUAREZ — Despite Mexico sharing a common border and economic and social ties with its U.S. neighbor, México is far from being a popular destination for American students.

Currently, only 3,800 American students study in México, according to U.S. government figures. That ranks Mexico as the 15th most popular country for U.S. students who want to study abroad.

Both governments are trying to change that.

A new initiative by President Barack Obama called "100,000 Strong in the Americas" intends to send 100,000 American students, not only to México, but to other countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. In exchange, the education initiative aims for the same number of students from those countries to learn and train in the U.S. by the year 2020.

The goal is to strengthen bi-national relations and better prepare young adults for the 21st-century global workforce, Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs Michele T. Bond said this week while in Juarez.

"It will be a tough goal to meet, but it is a great challenge," she said during a visit to promote the program.

According to the international non-profit Open Doors Report 2014 of the Institute of International Education, about 45,500 U.S. students study in Latin America and the Caribbean — three times less than the number of American students in Europe.

And most American students prefer to study in Costa Rica, Argentina and Brazil instead of México, the report says.

Bond acknowledged that Mexico's recent drug war and crime has deterred American students from México.

According to the report, there were almost 10,000 American students in México at the beginning of the 2007 school year when former Mexican President Felipe Calderón was beginning the country's offensive against the drug cartels and violence began escalating .

By 2009, there were 7,150 U.S. students in México, shrinking to almost 4,170 a year later, the report says.

The number of Mexican students studying in the U.S. also dropped slightly during the same years — from almost 14,850 Mexican students in the U.S. in 2007 to 13,710 in 2010. However, the number of Mexicans studying in the U.S. grew to a current 14,800 this year, the report says.

Bond said the U.S. government is determined to increase the number of student exchanges because of the contribution to the U.S. economy and prosperity.

Students who study abroad learn about what is needed to lead a globalized economy, as well as a new language and gaining a cross-cultural understanding, she said.

"We need to get students excited, interested and aware of all the opportunities they have to study abroad. It is not going just to happen," Bond said.

As part of the initiative, she said, the U.S. and Mexican governments have held six binational workshops over the past year to expand economic opportunities for U.S. and Mexican citizens. The two countries are also developing a shared vision on educational cooperation.

One of the workshops was held at the University of Texas at El Paso in March, when more than 90 U.S. and Mexican government, private sector, civil society and higher education representatives met to discuss the potential of the border region for binational higher education cooperation and exchanges.

The U.S. government has also established the "100,000 Strong in the Americas Innovation Fund," which promotes and supports international study programs.

For more information about the "100,000 Strong in the Americas," visit www.100kstrongamericas.org.

Lorena Figueroa may be reached at 546-6129.

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