Mexico
16 Binational Business Program
Accepted Degree Levels
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Grant PeriodFall StartGrant Length10 Months |
Award Type
Specialized Grant Types
- Business
Award Profile
With the goal of creating mutual understanding between the private sectors of Mexico and the United States, the U.S.-Mexico Commission for Educational and Cultural Exchange (COMEXUS), the Fulbright Commission in Mexico, supports internships in Mexican and multinational companies through the Binational Internship Program for U.S. Students.
Grantees will be placed in cooperating businesses, and will also take courses related to international business at the Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México (ITAM). The most significant component of the program is the internship; grantees will spend about 80-90% of their time working in the company.
In recent years, COMEXUS has placed grantees in a variety of organizations, including traditional and multinational companies, financial institutions, airlines and start-ups. In Mexico City, these workplaces have included Ashoka, Angel Ventures, Casa Dragones, Convixión, Endeavor, Evercore, and Volaris among others.
COMEXUS is unable to guarantee placements in specific regions, companies, sectors and/or industries.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Grantees are not required to submit a research/study project in order to apply for this grant. If included, this should be considered an additional activity and must not interfere with the internship.
Fulbright grants in Mexico are known as "Fulbright-García Robles" grants.
Grant Length
Grant Period
Grant Length: 10 months.
Grant dates: September 2024 - June 2025.
Orientation
All grantees will be required to attend a mandatory Welcome Orientation in Mexico City during the last week of August 2024, organized and sponsored by COMEXUS.
COMEXUS will arrange international transportation for grantees except in very specific cases in which grantees travel with family. Grantees should not purchase airfare without first consulting their COMEXUS Program Officer.
Candidate Profile
Preferred candidates should have less than three years of work experience post-graduation, as well as a bachelor's or master's degree in one of the following fields: Business Administration, Finance, Economics, International Relations, Law/International Law, Accounting, or another business-related field.
Candidates with a bachelor’s degree in another field may be considered if they have demonstrated experience and interest in international business.
Candidates must be adaptable and proactive, able to take initiative in both professional and educational situations in order to thrive in a highly independent program. Rather than a traditional study abroad, the Binational Business Program is designed for flexible, self-sufficient grantees able to seize the moment, establish and manage expectations, and forge valuable experiences throughout the program.
Eligibility
7 Months
• Must not be living or working in Mexico during the application process
• Dual citizens are welcome to apply
Accepted Degree Levels
- Bachelor's
- Master's
Special Application Instructions
Refer to this program in your Statement of Grant Purpose and select “Binational Business Program” under Award Name on the Fulbright application.
Foreign Language Proficiency
Additional Information: Spanish language proficiency is necessary, not only for the internship but also in order to communicate at a university level. Applicants should include in the Language Self-Evaluation plans for language study between the time of application and the commencement of the grant. A Foreign Language Evaluation by a college-level Spanish language instructor is also required.
Fulbright Proposal Types
No
No
Affiliation
Applicants should not include a letter of affiliation from any Mexican institution in their application, as COMEXUS will place all grantees with their host company or organization. Following the final grantee selection, COMEXUS will arrange the internship placement of grantees through a matching process involving participating companies, grantees, and the Commission.
In this process:
- All grantees are invited to be interviewed by all companies.
- Both the companies and grantees then rank their preferences.
- The Commission assigns the grantee to an institution, taking into account the preferences of both the applicant and the company as well as the well-being of the complete cohort.
- COMEXUS is unable to guarantee placements in specific companies and/or industries.
- Grantees will enroll in courses at Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México (ITAM).
Affiliation Fees/Tuition
All grantees must enroll in at least one course and up to two courses per trimester at the ITAM for a total of up to six classes. University fees are waived as part of the grant. Please note that grantees will require to pass their classes with 8/10 to fully comply with grant responsibilities.
Housing Arrangements
Neither COMEXUS nor the U.S. Embassy/consulate will assist in locating or helping secure housing for U.S. Fulbright grantees.
The Commission is not responsible for finding housing for grantees. The Commission may make suggestions and offer contacts and references from former grantees, but it is the grantee’s responsibility to find housing. Although some grants come with a modest relocation award, the Commission recommends having sufficient funds to cover move-in expenses. Having a few short-term options in mind following the Welcome Orientation is a good idea since it is not advisable to secure long-term housing before arrival. After several days or weeks, you will have a better idea of what you are looking for in your living situation and more importantly, the length of commute between your home and primary grant activity site.
Dependents
Statement of Grant Purpose
In the Statement of Grant Purpose, the following three points should be addressed:
1) Areas where the applicant could benefit from and make the best contribution to a Mexico-based company conducting international business;
2) Aspects of the applicant’s academic background (coursework, workshops, special courses, particular interests, etc.) and professional experience (specific jobs and internships) that would allow the applicant to benefit from the experience and contribute during the internship and in the classroom; and
3) Expected benefits from the internship and courses, and their relationship to the applicant’s future career plans.
Grant Details
- Grant amount: $15,700 US. Please take note that the grant will be paid in Mexican pesos (MXN) after grantees open their bank accounts. For the last cohort, the amount was $314,000 in MXN (around $31,400 MXN per month). Each year, the Commission establishes the exchange rate to determine the grant amount in MXN.
To give some perspective to interested candidates, please note that an average Mexican citizen with a BA degree earns from $10,000 to $20,000 MXN per month, and the monthly grant amount would be more than that.
-Additional support includes: One roundtrip airfare between US-Mexico provided to the grantee only, not to exceed $1,000 USD.
The grant includes emergency health benefits provided by the State Department under the ASPE program of up to $100,000.