BACKGROUND

GOALS

PARTICIPATING COMPANIES

PARTICIPATING UNIVERSITIES

STUDENT REQUIREMENTS

CORPORATE SUPERVISORS

HOST FAMILIES

Alumni Association

CONTACT

BACKGROUND

BUEN VECINO INTERNSHIP PROGRAM

Administered by the United States-Mexico
Cultural and Educational Foundation

In 1995, the United States-Mexico Chamber of Commerce (USMCOC) created the Buen Vecino Internship Program (BVIP), a binational student exchange program aimed to providing students with three unique experiences:

An overview of U.S.-Mexico business relations through contact with the USMCOC.

Knowledge of a specific industry by serving as unpaid interns in USMCOC corporate member offices.

And exposure to another culture by living with a host family.

To date 200 students have participated in the Buen Vecino Internship Program and we are ready to start the session for the year 2002.


Return to the Top

GOALS

For eight weeks every summer, students from the U.S. and Mexico travel to their neighboring countries to have an opportunity to intern in companies related to their majors. The program helps the participants, whether they are corporate executives or university students, discuss and share ideas and knowledge on the ways to do business and international commerce between the United States and Mexico.

The Goals of the BVIP are:

To provide interaction between citizens of Mexico and the United States in various settings.

To foster future mutually beneficial commercial relations between the two countries.

To provide a forum for the exchange of ideas regarding corporate environment, communications styles, culture, and international relations.

Contribute to the development of future leaders in the areas of trade and commerce.

Return to the Top

Return to the Top

PARTICIPATING UNIVERSITIES


The Buen Vecino Internship Program has always tried and is continuing to create a better representation of both countries. Throughout the program’s existence, BVIP interns have represented the following Mexican universities:
 

Centro de Enseñanza Técnica y Superior - Campus Mexicali   Centro de Enseñanza Técnica y Superior - Campus Tijuana   Instituto Tecnológico y Estudios Superiores de Monterrey - Campus Ciudad de México   Instituto Tecnológico y Estudios Superiores de Monterrey - Campus Estado de México   Instituto Tecnológico y Estudios Superiores de Monterrey - Campus Guadalajara   Instituto Tecnológico y Estudios Superiores de Monterrey - Campus León   Instituto Tecnológico y Estudios Superiores de Monterrey - Campus Monterrey   Instituto Tecnológico y Estudios Superiores de Monterrey - Campus Querétaro   Instituto Tecnológico y Estudios Superiores de Monterrey - Campus San Luis Potosí

Universidad Autónoma de Chiapas   Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara   Universidad de Guadalajara   Universidad de Guanajuato   Universidad de Monterrey   Universidad de las Americas-Puebla   Universidad de Quintana Roo   Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México   Universidad Veracruzana.

U.S. universities that have been represented are:
 

Adams State College (Colorado)   George Washington University (Washington, D.C.)   New Mexico State University   Rice University   San Diego State University   Universidad del Turabo-Puerto Rico   University of Oregon

University of Southern California   University of Southern Florida   University of Texas at Arlington   University of Texas at Austin   University of Texas at Dallas   University of Texas at El Paso

Return to the Top

STUDENT REQUIREMENTS

Student applicants to the program must be bilingual (English/Spanish) and meet the 3.0 GPA minimum requirement. Only students from universities that have a signed memorandum of understanding with the USMCOC may participate. Students apply through their university’s BVIP Coordinator and must complete a rigorous screening process, which includes professor recommendations, two personal interviews, and a written essay. Applicants should be undergraduate upper-division students who will not have graduated from the university at the time of participation in the Buen Vecino Internship Program. All candidates must be legal citizens of the country where they study.

TESTIMONIALS

"My placement was in accordance with my academic background. I was forced to learn a new area of business of which I had no prior knowledge and experience…. Living with a family relieves many of the pressures that automatically come with visiting a foreign country…. I would strongly encourage those who are interested in international business, those who seek to improve foreign language skills, and/or those who are simply looking for a cross-cultural experience."

-- 1998 BVIP Intern

"My placement was absolutely accurate, its activities matched perfectly with my major…. The home stay situation is the component that makes this program different from others…. I would absolutely recommend this program because it is a great opportunity to practice your theoretical knowledge."

--1998 BVIP Intern


Return to the Top

CORPORATE SUPERVISORS

Corporate supervisors of the Buen Vecino Internship Program benefit from the students bilingual ability and dedicated work ethic. Different perspectives of culture and business are shared and gained through the two-month experience by the students and supervisors alike. Many times the students have later become employees of the company where they interned.
An overview of U.S.-Mexico business relations through contact with the USMCOC.

TESTIMONIAL

" I have participated in the Buen Vecino Internship Program for the last two years as the intern's immediate supervisor and had the pleasure to coach/tutor two outstanding candidates. I believe the students develop a better understanding of the 'business world' and increase their knowledge of U.S. culture, helping them become more productive in whichever country they decide to practice their trade. In return, the participating company profits in many ways, such as a tangible contribution to their goals as well as the opportunity to gain a candid perspective of how the company is perceived by a neighboring country in which it does business…. The students bring with them a fresh, newly learned viewpoint of the business environment from school, and quickly close the gap between school and the workplace by the end of their internship…. Again, I extend my support to the BVIP in this unique form of learning."

--1997 & 1998 BVIP Corporate Supervisor


Return to the Top

HOST FAMILIES

The host families have a chance to learn more about the student’s homeland and to practice their language skills. The students benefit greatly from the experience of putting theory into practice and from the opportunity of living in their neighboring country, which for many of them is a first.

TESTIMONIALS

"Their attitude was outstanding. They both were terrific and a pleasure to live with. They pitched in and helped out all the time. They were polite consistently, well behaved and good humored…. BVIP is an excellent project and experience for the interns and the host families…. We will definitely do it again."

--BVIP Host family

"His attitude was very pleasant and flexible. We were glad to have him with us…. I think it is a great program and a great experience for all, especially the exchanged student."

--BVIP Host Family


Return to the Top

Buen Vecino Internship Program Alumni Association


Contributing to the development of future international leaders is the basic thrust of the Buen Vecino Internship Program. Created in 1995 by the United States-Mexico Chamber of Commerce and administered in the United States by the United States-Mexico Cultural and Educational Foundation for the past seven years, it has provided numerous opportunities and benefits for students, businesses and corporations within the two neighboring countries.
 

	Elected a Board of Directors (Left to Right) Marco Tussie, Ruy Echavarría, Gale Fitzwater (BVIP Director) Leonora Guerrero, and Francisco Freyre.

The success of the program can mainly be measured by this growing group of exceptionally gifted and talented individuals, who today hold prominent positions in the bi-national business and trade arena. In order to provide continuing support and expand the immediate goals of the Buen Vecino Internship Program, the alumni, with the support of the Chamber, held its first formal general assembly on Jan. 27. The Assembly created a constitution to legally establish the "ASOCIACIÓN DEL PROGRAMA BUEN VECINO, A.C.".
 

USMCOC Officials (Left to Right) Barbara Bennett, Director of Finance; Gale Fitzwater, BVIP Director and Mary Barrientos, Director of Development

The objectives of the association are to strengthen ties among the alumni; to provide the support, promotion and expansion of the Buen Vecino Internship Program, as well as, other educational and cultural programs.. They will provide activities, including socio-cultural ones for the benefit of these programs and services for its members.

Having been advised of the intent of forming the nonprofit organization, those present elected a Board of Directors. Elected for a term of 2 years where: Ruy Echavarría, President, Leonora Guerrero, Vice President, Marco Tussie, Treasurer, and Francisco Freyre, Secretary. Representatives to the Board from seven sections of Mexico were established to provide an even distribution of participation within Mexico.
 

Membership is open to alumni who are citizens of Mexico or the United States of America. The Association recognizes representatives of participating universities, participating companies, the Cámara de Comercio México-Estados Unidos and the United States-Mexico Cultural and Educational Foundation.

The following meeting will take place the second week of August of this year.

Pictures of the BVIP Alumni Association Luncheon

Return to the Top

CONTACT INFORMATION

The program encompasses many areas that cross the historical, cultural, political, and economic ties that have always existed between the two countries. Participation in the Buen Vecino Internship Program, at any level, has proven to be an asset to participants and its results have not been duplicated in any other U.S.-Mexico exchange program.

If you or anybody you know is interested in participating in the Buen Vecino Internship Program as a corporate sponsor, host family, and/or student participant, please contact:

United States-Mexico Chamber of Commerce
1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Suite 270
Washington, DC 20004-3021
Tel. (202) 371-8680 ext. 19
Fax. (202) 371-8686
E-mail: news-hq@usmcoc.org

Return to the Top