MEXICO AND THE UK SIGN EDUCATIONAL AND TOURISM AGREEMENTS
LONDON, United Kingdom, 2nd march 2015.- President Enrique Peña Nieto led today the Signing Ceremony of seven Education and Tourism Agreements between the UK and Mexico, in which he stated that these settlements will give our country "an important boost for development".
In the event, the first one of his activities in the UK, where he started a State Visit, the Mexican President expressed his recognition of the "willingness and readiness of the UK Government to finalize the agreements ".
"I want to make a vast recognition to the provosts of over 12 universities in the UK and Mexico, the main universities of the two nations, which have been deliberating and working; additionally, we have collected the conclusions of the working meetings held, which in the end points to the same goal, which is to strengthen institutional collaboration between universities in the UK and our country, to keep promoting higher education for our youth "he added.
He explained that the most important pillar for the development of any nation is education, so he expressed his confidence that the documents signed today "must hold for young people of both countries the opportunity to train better, to obtain more education spaces in both countries, and together, truly, strengthen and consolidate the structure held by the bilateral relationship between the United Kingdom and Mexico".
He mentioned that in the tourism sector "Mexico is a very attractive place and it’s among the most important destinations in the world, such as the UK". He said that the agreement signed today in this area "allow to continue promoting the image of both countries in the world, and between our conational make these destinations, our two countries, much more attractive, more tourism, and consequently with more jobs”.
"Mexico is, within America, the second largest tourist destination in this region of the world; whereas the United Kingdom it is within the entire European region, "he said.
UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF PRESIDENT PEÑA NIETO, MEXICO EXPERIENCES A PROFOUND PROCESS OF TRANSFORMATION IN THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL AREAS: CLAUDIA RUIZ MASSIEU
Secretary of Tourism of Mexico, Claudia Ruiz-Massieu, stated that "under the leadership of President Enrique Peña Nieto, Mexico experiences a profound transformation in the economic and social areas which is reflected also on the outside".
"Today Mexico has a more active role internationally to strengthen the global effort for development, growth and welfare," she added. In this matter, she continued, "tourism is a sector that shows the transformative impact: Mexico is a modern, diverse and vibrant destination; a world class destination".
She highlighted that the tourism industry contributes to economic development and social inclusion as well as the preservation and dissemination of our cultural and natural heritage. "Like education, tourism provides a platform to build greater awareness and understanding among nations," she said.
Secretary Ruiz-Massieu mentioned that the agreements signed today, "The UK and Mexico strengthen their ties through the exchange of knowledge, mechanisms and best practices."
AGREEMENTS ARE AN EXAMPLE OF COMMITMENT TO PROMOTE AN ONGOING AND FLUID DIALOGUE BETWEEN UNIVERSITIES, ACADEMICS AND STUDENTS OF BOTH COUNTRIES: GOMEZ-PICKERING
The Ambassador of Mexico to the UK, Diego Gomez-Pickering said the signing of various documents of cooperation between authorities of Mexico and the United Kingdom "is particularly relevant because it contributes to the construction of this architecture model of two of its most important pillars". In education, he said, cooperation has been very fruitful, as the UK is the second destination for Mexicans doing post-graduate studies abroad.
"The agreements signed today will exemplify our commitment to foster an ongoing and open dialogue between universities, academics and students of the two countries," he added.
He said that the field of tourism is equally important in the bilateral relationship, as the UK is Mexico's most important tourist market in Europe, while for the UK, Mexico represents the second largest market in Latin America.
He also mentioned that the State Visit of Mexican President to the UK "allows to detonate the huge potential of the relationship between our countries in many sectors". In trade, for example, the exchange between the two countries has grown at a rate of 5.3 percent annually in recent years. The UK is our 6th trading partner and investor in Mexico and 4th among the 28 countries of the European Union, he added.
Gomez-Pickering said that in the field of energy, separate agreements will be subscribed. "Both countries are aware of the need to move rapidly towards a low emission carbon economy, while developing our energy resources to support and promote economic prosperity".
The event was also attended by Sir Eric Thomas, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Bristol, and Helen Grant is the Minister for Sport and Tourism in the UK. They agreed on the importance of the relationship between Mexico and the United Kingdom, which strengthens from the expansion of cooperation in education and tourism. At the ceremony seven agreements on cooperation between authorities in the United Kingdom and Mexico were signed: Agreement on Mutual Recognition of Degrees, Diplomas and Degrees, by which the authorities of both countries recognize their bachelor's, master's, doctoral diplomas and / or academic degrees. It was signed by the Secretary of Public Education of Mexico (SEP), Emilio Chuayffet Chemor; and Greg Clark, Minister for Universities and Science in the UK.
For its part, the Secretary of Foreign Affairs of Mexico, Jose Antonio Meade, and the Minister for Universities and Science, Greg Clark, signed the Letter of Intent for the establishment of "Mobile Chair Mexico-United Kingdom ", in which 12 Mexican higher education institutions and 12 British involved. The Letter of Intent will promote research as well as academic and student mobility in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, social sciences and humanities.
In addition, the SEP and Oxford University signed an agreement to establish a professorship in American literature associated with British institution. The agreement was signed by the Secretary Emilio Chuayffet and Nick Rawlins, Deputy Rector for Development and International Affairs at the University of Oxford.
At the ceremony a letter of intent between the National Council for Science and Technology (CONACyT) and the University of Oxford, for the creation of a Joint Programme of Mexico Studies at the Faculty of History at the University of Oxford was also signed. The document was signed by the Director General of CONACYT, Enrique Cabrero, and Nick Rawlins, Deputy Rector for Development and International Affairs at the University of Oxford.
The Rector of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), José Narro Robles, and Edward Byrne, President and Director of King's College London, signed a general agreement between both institutions for academic cooperation; while Jaime Valls, Executive Secretary of the International Association of Universities and Institutions of Higher Education in Mexico (ANUIES) and Nicola Dandridge, President of Universities UK, signed a Memorandum of Understanding on academic cooperation.
Finally, the Secretary of Tourism of Mexico, Claudia Ruiz-Massieu, and Helen Grant, Minister for Sport and Tourism signed the Cooperation Specific Programme 2015-2016 between the two institutions, whereby sets a schedule of activities to exchange experiences in creative industries, sustainability, education, competitiveness and empowerment of women, among others.