Fulbright-García Robles Mexico-U.S. Border Scholar Travel Award

The close, dynamic relationship between the United States and Mexico offers a plethora of opportunities for scholars interested in conducting research or teaching at the university level on issues of relevance for both countries.  Mexico is proud of its ancestral cultural heritage as well as its long history of academic excellence. The opportunities for informed travel and discovery for U.S. scholars are endless. Follow the hyperlinks here to visit the Fulbright Scholar Directory and read more about Fulbright Scholar Alumni Ambassadors Melisa Cahnmann-Taylor and Brian Klopotek.

The site of major Amerindian civilizations - including the Olmec, Toltec, Teotihuacan, Zapotec, Maya, and Aztec, among others, and home to one of the most biodiverse environments, it is no wonder that Mexico boasts the largest UNESCO world heritage in the American continent: 14 cities, 35 cultural and natural sites, as well as an important number of intangible patrimonies. Additionally, Mexico has designated 132 Pueblos Mágicos (Magical Towns), communities that over time have maintained their original architecture, traditions, history and culture, which enhance the richness of travel destinations.

Mexico was colonized by Spain in the early 16th century and achieved independence three centuries later. Elections held in 2000 marked the first time since the 1910 Mexican Revolution that an opposition candidate - Vicente Fox of the conservative Partido Acción Nacional (PAN) - defeated the party in government, the Partido Revolucionario Institucional (PRI). He was succeeded in 2006 by another PAN candidate Felipe Calderón, but Enrique Peña Nieto regained the presidency for the PRI in 2012. Left-leaning politician and former mayor of Mexico City (2000-05) Andrés Manuel López Obrador, from the Movimiento de Regeneración Nacional (MORENA), became president in December 2018. Presidents in Mexico cannot be reelected after their six-year term.

Education in Mexico has a long tradition. The Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), which started as Real y Pontificia Universidad de México (Royal and Pontifical University of Mexico), was founded in 1551 and is the second oldest institution of higher education in the American Continent. UNAM has been cited as one of the largest and most important universities, not only in Mexico but in all of Latin America. Its philosophy is closely tied to social responsibility, at the service of the country and humankind by educating academics and professionals to be of use to society, able to organize and carry out research on social and political issues that have vast cultural benefits. All three of Mexico’s Nobel Prize winners, Octavio Paz, Mario J. Molina and Alfonso García Robles were UNAM graduates.

There are six subsystems of higher education institutions in Mexico: public universities, technological institutes, technological universities, teacher training colleges, and other public and private institutions. When all of them are counted, Mexico has 1,250 institutions of higher education. Mexico’s 45 public universities, generate 50 percent of all academic research and produce 52 percent of undergraduates as well as 48 percent of graduate students. There are also one hundred and sixty-eight private universities to be found throughout the country.

There are a few very interesting and original public higher educational institutions unique to Mexico that have been studied and reproduced in other countries. This is the case of the Universidades Interculturales, specifically designed for bilingual and bicultural environments in regions with a strong indigenous presence. There is a world-renowned prestigious agricultural university, La Universidad Autonoma de Chapingo, that boards students from all over the country. The Escuelas Normales Rurales (teacher training in rural areas) are also exemplary educational institutions. All combined, the opportunities for U.S. Scholars to establish relationships with their Mexican counterparts are endless.

The education system is mostly centered in Mexico City, however, there are other important educational hubs that attract students from all over, for example, Puebla, Puebla; Xalapa, Veracruz; Leon and Guanajuato, Guanajuato; Guadalajara, Jalisco and Merida in the Yucatán peninsula.

COMEXUS, the U.S.-Mexico Commission for Educational and Cultural Exchange, manages all Fulbright grants in Mexico. Founded in 1990, COMEXUS has a demonstrated record of helping grantees get oriented in their new environment. Since 1992, the COMEXUS Board of Directors established that all of the Mexico-specific scholarships would be officially named “Fulbright-García Robles” in honor of Alfonso García Robles, Mexican Ambassador Emeritus and 1982 Nobel Peace Prize winner. Mexico also shares a multi-country grant with Canada, the Fulbright-Carlos Rico Award for North American Studies, which honors Ambassador Carlos Rico, who served as Mexican Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs for North America from 2006 to 2009. COMEXUS promotes the development of networks of individuals and institutions that stimulate research and teaching on important themes related to the binational agenda.

COMEXUS is particularly interested in projects addressing issues of relevance to U.S.-Mexico relations, including culture, economic integration, society and politics, migration, trade policy, ecological issues, human rights, education, public health, and border issues. While COMEXUS is currently particularly focused on research and teaching projects related to the STEM fields, they also have a long history of supporting projects in the arts (both performance and fine arts) that further dialogue and contact between U.S. and Mexican art communities.

Fulbright-García Robles awards are open to candidates at any academic or professional rank, in all disciplines with the exception of medicine, veterinary medicine, and dentistry. The fields of interest are non-exhaustive and applications from all disciplines are accepted.  COMEXUS encourages applicants looking for postdoctoral research stays in Mexico.

Typically, academic semesters begin in August or September and/or January or February. Grant periods from three to nine months are accepted; nine-month academic-year grants are preferred. All grants are to be completed by the end of June. For grants over 180 days (roughly six months), grantees and accompanying dependents must obtain a visa authorization prior to entering Mexico, which is arranged by COMEXUS. Grantees with dual U.S. and Mexican nationality are eligible to apply and, although they are bound by all laws pertaining to foreigners while in-country, they are required by Mexican law to enter Mexico on a Mexican passport. However, due to Mexican immigration regulations, U.S. citizens with permanent residency or a current work visa are not eligible to apply.

For more information on program details, contact Maria Vallarta or visit the COMEXUS website. 

The Fulbright Commission in Mexico follows the recommendations of both the Mexican government and the U.S. Embassy when placing U.S. Fulbright grantees in Mexico. Placement may be restricted in certain states or areas of Mexico, dependent on these recommendations. Please consult the detailed U.S. State Dept. Mexico Travel Advisory for information about your prospective location. Projects in level 4 travel advisory areas will not be considered.