Canadian university presidents and research partners met with their Mexican counterparts in a mission aimed at strengthening collaborations and mobility.

Fortifying higher education links is crucial at a time when "tensions between the two countries are at the highest point in decades", the American Council on Education has said.

Canadian educators are reporting a surge of interest from Mexican students considering studying abroad because of a combination of relaxed visa rules between the two countries and the 'Trump effect'. "Canada has always been popular, but we have always had to compete with the United States; that is now changing," one said.

The president of one of Mexico’s leading private universities has said the higher education community isn’t concerned about the future of their collaborations with the US under a Trump administration.

More than 15,000 international students and educators across the world turned out to clean up their local shorelines and parks to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Centennial College in Canada.

In a recent survey of more than 40,000 students in 118 countries, 60% said they would be less likely to choose the US as a study destination if Donald Trump were to be elected president of the country this November.

Highlighting promotional packages and communicating the appeal of cities outside London can help when marketing UK ELT to Mexican students, a British Council report recommends. It identifies cost as a big deterrent for Mexican students when choosing their ELT destination.

As of next year, learning English language will be compulsory for state primary school students in Mexico, in a bid to better prepare students for a globalised world and encourage more students to study abroad.