BECAS MOB, A BRIEF HISTORY

Becas Magdalena O. Vda. de Brockmann, A.C. is a carefully managed nonprofit institution (tax exempt in Mexico) set up on April 29th, 1993 and headquartered in Guadalajara, Mexico. In 1993 six scholarships were awarded. Over the last 33 years the institution’s endowment has grown, and other programs funded by third parties have been added, with a concomitant increase in scholarships.

Its original endowment consisted of an irrevocable donation made by Mr. Brockmann of $1,500,000 dollars. Since then, despite having awarded 468 scholarships (including 2025 awardees) amounting to over $9’000,025 dollars, with further tuition waivers and matching funds provided by other universities and private firms, Becas MOB’s endowment (managed since inception by well-known San Francisco investment adviser Fisher Investments, Inc. and under custody of Schwab Financial Services) has grown in excess of 4.4% per year on an annualized basis (after scholarship disbursements).

To ensure the institution’s continuity and growth, our bylaws and long-term financial plan require that annually we grant between 5 and 5.5% of our endowment in scholarships, with none of this amount used to cover operating expenses or overhead.

A major milestone was achieved in April 1997 when we signed an agreement with CONACYT, the Mexican Government agency entrusted with awarding science and technology loans, scholarships and funding for research projects. As a result of years of close and productive cooperation this relationship matured to the extent that a formal agreement is no longer necessary. In addition, Becas MOB has maintained close contact with other grant-giving institutions such as Fulbright/Comexus, the IIE, The British Council and various Mexican institutions that offer student aid, government and otherwise, primarily to avoid duplication.

Another milestone confirming the high regard in which we are held within the educational community, was the signature in November 1997 of an agreement with the Government of the State of Jalisco. It entrusted Becas MOB with the pro-bono administration of a program, unique in Mexico, by which $150,000 dollars were invested annually in scholarships for present and future public servants, primarily those interested in studying for master’s degrees in public administration and public policy. Upon their return awardees were committed to work for the state government for at least three years.

The original program had a term of two years, but such was its appeal that in March 2000 the Jalisco State Congress approved an extension of the program for another ten years. This agreement was once again extended in May 2010 for another ten years and finished in 2020. We were deeply honored to select all fellows and guide them in seeking admission to carefully chosen and select universities.

In June of 1999 Becas MOB signed an agreement with the British Government by which a joint scholarship was awarded annually to an outstanding Mexican wishing to study for a master’s degree in the social sciences at a public university in Great Britain of the candidate’s choice. This Chevening Scholarship Program is very competitive and aimed at improving future diplomatic relations between the two countries by aiding future leaders and decision makers. This agreement was continued until 2017.

In 2000 The Cambridge Overseas Trust offered to annually co-sponsor two Mexican students wishing to study for master’s degrees in electronic or computer engineering at world-renowned Cambridge University. This agreement has been extended several times and covers all other fields of study offered by Cambridge University. Together collaborating 25 years later, we are honored to work with this exemplary university in awarding full scholarships for outstanding Mexicans to study there.

In 2001 this institution further reached an agreement with the University of Alberta to annually grant up to five joint fellowships to Mexicans wishing to obtain master’s degrees in science or engineering at this superb Canadian university. This agreement was further extended in 2009 to include all thesis-based master’s degrees offered by the university and continued until 2013.

Under a separate agreement the government of Great Britain, the University of Warwick and Becas MOB agreed to annually award a suitable Mexican candidate with a full scholarship enabling him or her to study any master’s degree (except MBA's) offered by this fine University. We also signed an agreement in 2003 with Fundación Carolina de España to provide up to three jointly sponsored scholarships for qualified Mexicans willing to study at affiliated Spanish universities.

In August 2004 Becas MOB signed an agreement with the University of Sussex to provide qualified Mexican students admitted to this innovative university with tuition facilities and funding for living expenses. Furthermore, in 2007 we signed scholarship agreements with the University of Arizona, which stipulated a maximum of 3 joint scholarships for qualified students wishing to study public administration, business administration or finance, and with The Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College, which provided substantial grant aid to outstanding MBA candidates, further increasing the facilities available for outstanding Mexican students wishing to study at top foreign universities.

Over the years, Becas MOB has also received tuition discount offers from select universities around the world. These multiply the number of quality study options for our scholars, also benefiting the schools’ ability to recruit top candidates in Mexico. Since 2005 the following universities and networks extended offers to the our institution: Brandeis University, Columbia University, New School University, University of Minnesota, University of Texas at Dallas, Rice University, University of Washington, University of Memphis, University of South Carolina, University of Bath, Dublin City University, Bond University, ISEAD, Instituto de Empresa and the Formaselect and Red “n + i” networks, among others.

Since its establishment, over twenty Mexican companies and private entities have joined us in matching grants awarded to exceptional young people enabling them to travel overseas for postgraduate studies. We have received funding from a diverse group wishing to collaborate with our mission, co-sponsoring scholars and helping us grow our scholarship offers. Among them are Flextronix, Arancia, Hylsa, Xerox, Banamex, Bank of America, McKinsey & Co., Booz Allen Hamilton and AT Kearney.

Furthermore, in 2013 we signed the first multi-year funding program with private Mexican institutions to co-sponsor Mexican students studying master’s degrees abroad. Our agreement with ICA, a renowned infrastructure and construction firm, provided co-funding to an outstanding civil engineer seeking to grow in fields related to real estate development, civil engineering and construction.

In July of 2013, we created the Social Service Scholarship Program (Beca al Compromiso Social) with Corporativa de Fundaciones, an innovative community foundation whose mission is to create alliances and partnerships between social investors and non-profit organizations to empower and strengthen institutions in the most vulnerable sectors. This program supports nonprofit leaders in their capacity building and training, enabling them to become highly productive, capable and networked individuals serving their communities. This agreement, renewed successively, today covers 2 joint scholarships each year.

In 2018, Becas MOB signed a collaboration agreement with the French Embassy in Mexico for the establishment of a joint scholarship program for master's studies in French public higher education institutions. Initially, we contemplated grants fully covering 2 annual scholarships to study master's programs in French, in any discipline and area of study offered by those institutions. Later, in May 2020, it was agreed to extend the scope of the agreement to include master's programs in English, whereby the number of scholarships was increased to a maximum of 6 per year.

In 2022, Becas MOB signed a collaboration agreement with the outstanding École Polytechnique of France covering one scholarship per year to study for any of its seven English language master’s programs in Science and Technology. The École Polytechnique is the most prestigious school of higher education for engineers in France.

The most recent agreement, signed in 2025, covers two full scholarships per year at one of the world’s top institutions for water studies, the IHE Delft (Netherlands), in its MSc in Water and Sustainable Development program. One of the most important features of this school (under the auspices of UNESCO) is that master’s studies cover all disciplines and fields of knowledge over the vital main subject: water, going from engineering to social impacts, law, and many others.

Over the years former Becas MOB scholars have established a not-for-profit association of their own and already their network is providing useful guidance to fellows, not only prior to their departure for school abroad, but also on their return when seeking employment and professional growth opportunities.

Becas MOB was awarded the distinguished member award for 2003 by the American Chamber of Commerce, Guadalajara Division as recognition for outstanding contribution to its community and achievement. Both its President and Executive Director have been awarded the distinguished individual recognition for outstanding achievement by AmCham (Yacatecutli award).

We are extremely proud that to date all but four awardees (two of them during the Covid pandemic years) have obtained the master’s degrees sought, and a number have been distinguished by their host universities with offers to study PhD’s, at no cost, after completion of their master’s degrees.

To summarize, the future of this nonprofit institution is extremely promising. We look forward to many years of promoting higher education overseas for exceptional young Mexicans and contributing to the academic progress of this country’s youth, thus supporting the stated objectives of our founders.

December 2025

Tel: 33-3632-2872, WhatsApp: 33-3033-1478

E-mail: becasmob@becasmob.org.mx, Web Page: www.becasmob.org.mx