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> *[www.buyusa.gov/studyusa](http://www.buyusa.gov/studyusa)*

###### HELPING YOU EDUCATE THE WORLD

Education and training is our county's 5^th^ largest services export,
bringing over \$12 billion in annual revenue to the United States, as
well as enormous benefits of cultural and international understanding
that are impossible to quantify. U.S. Department of Commerce Export
Assistance Centers around the country work to help expand exports of
U.S. products and services. This newsletter is a free service provided
to U.S. educational institutions interested in expanding their
international marketing and student recruitment. It is compiled and
edited by the U.S. Department of Commerce education team, currently
headed by Jim Paul of the Boston Export Assistance Center. Comments and
feedback on this newsletter are appreciated.

*Please check the boxes next to the items of interest to you, complete
the brief form at the end of this newsletter,*

*and fax or e-mail it back to the trade specialist above to receive more
detailed information and consultation.*

###### COUNTRY FEATURE: MEXICO

##### 

##### Mexico is the seventh-leading place of origin for students to the United States and is one of only three non-Asian countries among the top ten senders. The United States is the largest foreign investor in Mexico, its largest trading partner, the leading source of its international tourists, and, most importantly, the preferred destination for Mexican nationals seeking undergraduate & graduate education.

More than 70 percent of the foreign universities chosen by Mexican
students were U.S institutions. According to the Institute of
International Education (IIE) in Mexico City, in academic year 2003/04,
there were 13,329 students from Mexico studying in the United States
(4.1 % more from the previous year). The majority of Mexican students
study at the undergraduate level (31.7%), graduate students (62.3%),
community colleges & ESL programs (6.0%). Despite the fact that the
United States remains the number one destination for Mexican students,
competition from other countries, such as Canada, the U.K., and
Australia, continues to increase substantially as support from their
national governments rises.

The demand for MBA programs in Mexico increases every year. Local MBA
enrollment has had an average growth of than 12% for the last 10 years
and opportunities are open for Universities interested in offering MBA's
with an international approach of the local environment.

The importance Mexican citizens place on having a command of the English
language is a trend that has resulted from Mexico's role as player in
the world economy and international politics, and even more specifically
as a result of growing economic and cultural interdependence between
Mexico and the United States. There are a significant number of
universities offering English as an undergraduate degree program.
Several Mexican private universities use the TOEFL Institutional exam as
a requirement for students in all fields of study.

Demand for slots at Mexican public universities far exceeds supply and
private schools are seeing rapid growth in enrollment. Over the past ten
years, there has been a 63-percent increase in the number of private
universities and trade schools in Mexico, from 15,891 institutions in
1993 to over 26,000 today. It is important to note that the vast
majority of schools included in these data are small, private training
programs, not colleges or universities. Annual tuition for a student
attending a private university ranges from US\$4,000 to US\$9,000 USD.
It is clear that there are a large number of Mexican families that are
willing to pay the price for a better education.

A barrier that U.S. schools face to recruiting students in Mexico is
that there remains a significant degree of ignorance in Mexico of the
extensive range of education options available in the United States.
Mexican students are also unaware of options that fall outside of the
traditional university category. Community colleges, junior colleges,
small four-year colleges, and even excellent state programs go largely
unnoticed by Mexican students bombarded by marketing from local private
schools as well as schools from Canada and Europe.

Mexican public and private colleges/universities are focusing on
alliances and agreements with foreign universities and community
colleges to provide joint programs, dual certification and exchange
programs for students and professors. U.S. schools/universities,
institutes, and ESL schools in the United States should seek to develop
alliances with Mexican private schools and universities in search of
mutual benefits. It is important to provide programs that offer a local
application with a global vision. Schools should also approach students
participating in educational fairs and working with
agents/representatives in Mexico in order to develop a closer
relationship between the institution, interested students and their
parents.

In an effort to help U.S. colleges, universities and other educational
institutions to learn more about the Mexican educational system and to
enhance the promotion of U.S. higher education in Mexico, seven
government and non-profit organizations have partnered under the
**Education USA-Mexico** banner. These organizations: the U.S.
Commercial Service, the Institute of International Education, the
Cultural Affairs office of the US. Dept. of State, the Benjamin Franklin
Library, COMEXUS, USAID, and the Education USA Advising Center can help
you establish ties to Mexico, identify methods to promote your programs,
recruit Mexican students, develop faculty exchanges, and identify
financial aid and scholarships opportunities for Mexican students and
faculty.

*The above narrative is an exerpt from a report prepared in April 2005
by Martha Sanchez*

*of the U.S. Commercial Service in Mexico City.*

###### NEW MARKET RESEARCH

*Our specialists abroad develop market research to help you evaluate
markets for your educational services. Research ranges from*

*short reports on areas of opportunity to detailed market and industry
reports. Below are a few examples of some of our most recent*

> *market research reports available FREE OF COST. Please check the
> boxes next to the items of interest to you, complete the brief form at
> the end of this newsletter, and fax or e-mail it back to the trade
> specialist above to receive the complete reports.*

**Detailed Country Reports:**

-   **Germany Market for e-Learning Systems August 11, 2005**

-   **Turkey Education Minister Pronouncement August 3, 2005**

-   **Turkey High Schools Move to 5-year System August 2, 2005**

-   **Japan Senior High School Study Abroad July 27, 2005**

-   **United Kingdom Education Materials Market Overview July 25, 2005**

-   **Philippines E-Learning Market July 20, 2005**

-   **Japan Education & Training Materials Market July 20, 2005**

-   **Turkey Private Education Market June 29, 2005**

-   **Turkey Law Change Affects English as a 2d Language June 29, 2005**

-   **Spain Education Materials Market - English as a 2d Language June
    28, 2005**

-   **Mexico Private Education Market June 16, 2005**

*These reports can also be found at www.export.gov.*

###### PROMOTIONAL EVENTS

*The U.S. Department of Commerce develops and/or supports promotional
fairs abroad at which U.S. educational institutions can recruit
international students and meet with educational multipliers and agents.
Events include trade missions, promotional fairs and educational
seminars. Below is a list of our upcoming programs.*

-   **September 26 -- 29, 2005: Europe MBA Fair - Sweden, Switzerland,
    Germany**

The MBA fair of the U.S. Commercial Service will be in its ninth year in
2005 and has proven to be a pivotal platform for international MBA
marketing. The U.S. Commercial Service in Switzerland will organize the
fair in 2005 in cooperation with the U.S. Commercial Service in Hamburg,
Germany and Stockholm, Sweden. The fair will be held in Stockholm,
September 26, Zurich, September 28, and Hamburg, September 29. The MBA
Fair is designed for U.S. universities with MBA programs to exhibit in
cities not regularly covered by the larger MBA/University recruitment
fairs. The event has a track record in producing results for exhibitors,
who appreciate the smaller venue and the quality of the visitors -
generally young professionals.

-   **October 3-5, 2005: Expo Ingles 2005 - Chile**

The Chilean government is very keen on increasing the number of
English/Spanish bilingual workers at all levels, and has established a
special program at the Ministry of Education to achieve this. The newly
created association ARIE, Association of Representative of International
Education and Exchange Programs, is organizing Expo Inglés, the first
trade fair solely dedicated to English language training. this is an
excellent opportunity for U.S. universities, language schools, and other
entities/firms to promote their English programs in Chile. The U.S.
Commercial Service of the U.S. Embassy, Santiago is supporting this
expo.

-   **October 9-13, 2005: CS-Certified Linden University Fairs --
    Northeast Asia**

The U.S. Commercial Service has certified the Linden education fair in
Seoul, Korea on 10/13/05 and will be providing logistical and
promotional support. The tour also includes stops in Hong Kong,
Shanghai, and Taipei. See
[www.lindentours.com](http://www.lindentours.com/).

-   **October 18-25, 2005: International Education Fairs in Venezuela**

The Commercial Service of the U.S. Embassy, Caracas, is supporting the
AVAA and CEVAZ International Educational Fairs, an opportunity for U.S.
Schools interested in tapping the strong Venezuelan market for U.S.
higher education. These events, which allow you to choose among a number
of leading city venues, are being organized by the two leading Education
USA advising centers in Venezuela - Asociación Venezolana Americana de
la Amistad (AVAA) and Centro Venezolano Americano del Zulia (CEVAZ).

-   **October 22-29, 2005: CS-Certified Linden University Fairs --
    Southeast Asia**

The U.S. Commercial Service has certified the Linden education fair in
Singapore on 10/23/05 and will be providing logistical and promotional
support. The tour also includes stops in Manila, Penang, Kuala Lumpur,
and Bangkok. See [www.lindentours.com](http://www.lindentours.com/).

-   **October 31-November 3, 2005: 14^th^ U.S. University Fair --
    Japan**

This is the premier student recruiting fair in Japan for regionally
accredit U.S. colleges & universities. It is co-organized by the U.S.
Commercial Service in Tokyo, the Japan-U.S. Educational Commission & the
Institute of International Education (IIE).

-   **November 10-13 2005: Study USA Pavilion at Universitarea, Mexico
    City**

For the last three years, Mexico has been the 7th largest source of
international students in the United States. Mexican students prefer to
study in the U.S. because of its close geographical location, commercial
ties, and quality of school programs. The 4th annual Study USA Mexico
Pavilion at Universitarea is the number one venue for U.S. schools
looking to tap into this burgeoning Mexican student market. With over
40,000 visitors, Universitarea is the leading event in Mexico for higher
education.

-   **November 12-17, 2005: ISN American Education Expo/Conference --
    Latin America**

The U.S. Commercial Service has certified these education fairs and will
be providing support logistical and promotional support.

Lima on 11/12/05, Caracas on 11/14/05, Medellin on 11/16/05, and Bogota
on 11/17/05.

-   **February 10-16, 2006: ISN American Education Expo - Gulf**

The U.S. Commercial Service has certified these education fairs and will
be providing support logistical and promotional support.

Istanbul on 2/10/06, Dubai on 2/12&13/06, Abu Dhabi on 2/14/06, Kuwait
City on 2/16/06.

-   **March 27-30, 2006: Bologna Children's Book Fair**

CS Italy will partner with the Association of Educational Publishers
(AEP) to organize a USA Pavilion for a group of educational software and
print publishers.

*Updated information on upcoming events can also be found at*
[www.buyusa.gov/studyusa](http://www.buyusa.gov/studyusa).

###### MORE INFORMATION

For more information on any of the programs and market research
mentioned please complete the following, check the boxes

next to newsletter items of interest and fax or e-mail this document to
the contact listed on the top of the first page.

Your Name Organization

Title E-mail address

Telephone Fax Number

Comments

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