Germany In Mexico

Mexico

Mexico holds a special place in Latin America for Germany due both to Mexico's regional importance and economic power and to the traditionally close cultural and economic ties between the two countries. The agreement on Scientific and Technological Cooperation (STC) has formed the basis of bilateral cooperation in education, research and technology for decades, and helps to further intensify the good relations. Mexico launched an ambitious programme (PECITI - 2008-2012) in 2008, and hopes to be ranked among the top 20% of the world's most competitive countries by 2030.

Political framework for bilateral cooperation in education and research

Cooperation with Mexico is based on the intergovernmental agreement on cooperation in Science and Technology (S&T) which was concluded on 6 February 1974. It lies within the competency of the Mexican foreign ministry (SRE). In addition to the intergovernmental agreement on cooperation in science and technology, the BMBF has concluded two special contracts with Mexican institutions:

• one relating to research and development projects for the utilization of solar energy, signed on 2 May 1978,

• and one regarding environmentally friendly production methods, concluded on 10 February 1982.

The key areas of German-Mexican cooperation are determined by a Mixed Commission that met most recently in September 2009 in Mexico City; the next meeting is planned for 2011 in Berlin.

Key areas of cooperation

The Mixed Commission recommended in 2009 that the cooperation be intensified further. Education and research are to be utilised to an even greater extent for innovation processes, to which end SMBs are to be even more effectively integrated into bilateral R&D cooperations in the future. The importance of vocational training is also to be increased. The fundamental aim is to effectively improve living conditions in the region and enhance German businesses' access to new markets. Current key topics are: biotechnology, environmental technologies, climate protection and sustainable development, marine research and technology, production technologies, information and communication technologies, basic research into renewable energies and energy efficiency, materials research, nanotechnology and health research.

Highlights of the cooperation

The German-Mexican Master's degree course "Environment and Resources Management" between the Cologne University of Applied Sciences and the Universidad Autónoma San Luis Potosí was launched in August 2008. The first two semesters of the Master's degree course are held at the UASLP, the third semester at the Cologne University of Applied Sciences. The fourth semester includes a field research trip to a Latin American country and the writing of the Master's thesis. So far, a total of 46 students in two classes have been funded. In March 2010, the applicants for the third class were selected in San Luis Potosí by the two higher education institutions, CONACYT and the Mexican office of the German Academic Exchange Service; the third course began in June 2010 with nine German and 20 Latin American scholarship holders. The programme is jointly funded by the BMBF, the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and CONACYT, and managed on the German side by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD). An evaluation of the Master's degree course in Germany and Mexico is currently being performed on behalf of the DAAD.

Beginning in June 2010, the Max Planck Society - supported by the BMBF - presented its Science Tunnel at four locations in Mexico in the course of the Bicentenario celebrations. The first exhibition site was opened in June as part of the 12th Conference of the German Economy for Latin America in the World Trade Centre in Mexico City. Further presentations were on display in Monterrey and León. Alongside the opening of the Science Tunnel, the BMBF held an innovation forum on 17 June featuring German and Latin American speakers on the subject of "Innovative Networks and Clusters".

In cooperation with Mexican partners, the German Aerospace Center (DLR) built a satellite receiving station in Chetumal (Yucatán) which was inaugurated in October 2007 by Mexico's President Caldéron. An excellent remote sensing department has meanwhile been established which processes the received satellite data and makes the resulting information widely available, for example for fighting forest fires. This also helps to position the German aerospace industry in Central and South America. There are plans to expand the scientific and operational use of the data provided by the station and to integrate further satellites. As Mexico intends to set up its own space agency, DLR can contribute significantly to positioning the German aerospace industry, both as a partner in the development phase and through cooperation in research projects on applying Earth observation data.

In May 2009, the DFG approved its first international research training group in Latin America in the humanities, on the topic of Mexico as a transit area between East and West, North and South. Coordinating partners are the Freie Universität Berlin on the German side and the Colegio di México on the Mexican side. A kick-off event for the research training group was held in April 2010 as part of the Bicentenario celebrations.

In November 2009, the DAAD and other European partners organised the European higher education fair EuroPosgrados for the fifth time in Mexico City and Monterrey.

Funding for collaborations

The International Bureau funds mobility projects in the above-mentioned key areas of cooperation. A call for proposals was successfully concluded on 17 September 2009.

15 workshops held by the DFG in Mexico in 2008 yielded a large number of applications for joint research projects. Approximately ten German-Mexican projects are to be financed with funds from CONACYT and DFG.

With support from the EU, CONACYT has set up a fund (FONCICyT) with a total volume of 20 million euros (10 million euros each from the EU and from CONACYT). Selected projects were approved in May/July. Of the 41 participating German institutions, eight were awarded funding.

So far, 33 projects with Mexican participation have been successful in applying for funding from the 7th EU Framework Programme. Ten of these also included a German partner.

Zimmermann Telegram

The Zimmermann Telegram as it was sent from Washington to Mexico

Mexican

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