Ambassador of the European Union meets with Tec students

The ambassador of the European Union (EU) to Mexico, Gautier Mignot, visited Tec de Monterrey’s Monterrey campus, where he met with students from the School of Social Sciences and Government, as well as with the institution’s directors.

“It’s a recognition for the ambassador of the European Union to Mexico to have requested, first-hand, this connection with the students, and for it to be in person, at our facilities,” said Nathán Wolf, Director of Strategic International Relations at Tec de Monterrey. 

The aim of this meeting with the students was to get to know about the topics of interest to university students regarding the relationship between Mexico and the European Union, and to align these with the embassy’s agenda.

This meeting was attended by 55 students from the Economics, Law, and International Relations degree programs.

According to Nathán Wolf, student mobility and the Tec21 model were discussed during the work session that was held along with Tec de Monterrey leaders.

“The Tec’s interest with the European Union is in achieving further internationalization in the area of possible scholarships and joint research projects, not just exchanges,” added the Director of Strategic International Relations at the Tec.

David Garza, Rector and Executive President of Tec de Monterrey; Juan Pablo Murra, Rector of Undergraduate and Graduate Studies; and Nathán Wolf were all present at the meeting.

Mexico and the European Union

During his meeting with Tec students, the ambassador of the European Union (EU) to Mexico explained the importance of the country to the EU.

“Mexico is one of the European Union’s 10 strategic partners,” said Mignot, while adding that as a region, they’ve maintained a relationship with the country on various issues. He also pointed out:

“The European Union’s priorities in Mexico are Human Rights issues and the challenge of social cohesion in the country.

Mignot explained that the European Union embassy has supported the country with developing regulations, schemes, and public policies, and with civil society on human rights issues.

In his session with the students, where he talked about “The role of the European Union in Mexico and the world,” the ambassador cited 6 global challenges we must face today. 

• Peace and Stability issues 
• Preservation of the Planet and Climate Change
• Inequality (concerning poverty, gender, and opportunities)
• Social Media and Artificial Intelligence 
• Democracy and Human Rights 
• Pandemics

“We need to think ethically and with governance to know how we’re going to solve all those issues,” Mignot said.

“The European Union’s priorities in Mexico are Human Rights issues and the challenge of social cohesion in the country.”- Gautier Mignot

According to the European Union, they’re Mexico’s third most important trading partner and the second largest investor in the country.

The relationship between the Tec and the European Union 

During the work session, certain figures regarding Tec de Monterrey and the European Union were announced.

Between 2017 and 2021, a total of 17,436 undergraduate and graduate students from the Tec’s different schools have participated in exchange programs in one of the countries belonging to the European Union.

During the same period, the Tec received 6,307 students from the European Union.

What’s more, publications and research projects have been made with more than 900 institutions in the European Union during the last 5 years. 

Engineering, Computational Sciences, and Medicine are the main areas. France, Spain, and Germany stand out among the countries in these collaborations.

According to Mignot, it’s in the interest of the European Union to promote these exchanges. He also noted:

“At the embassy, we also make a lot of effort to promote and provide opportunities for student exchanges between Mexico and the European Union.”

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