The Dallas Morning News – Alfredo Corchado and Jasmine Aguilera
“Inside a cafeteria at the University of North Texas, Erwin Guillermo Fernández downs a turkey sandwich before class, talking excitedly about how his education here will open doors back in his native Mexico. At least that’s the plan. “My goal is to finish here this year, return to Mexico and try to make a difference,” said Fernández, 32, a graduate student in computer science. “This university has helped guide me toward that dream.” Fernández is one of about 14,800 Mexican students studying in the U.S. They are part of a widening effort by the U.S. and Mexico to share educational resources to push an increasingly integrated North America to be even more competitive. The task of educational institutions is to train a new workforce on both sides of the border to meet growing demands in energy, telecommunications, technological innovation and other areas. There is an emphasis on the so-called STEM fields — science, technology, engineering and math — and many of the Mexican students attending North Texas universities are on scholarships from the Mexican government to study in related fields.”(more)