The Ministry of Tertiary Education and Skills Training (MTEST) recently hosted a courtesy visit and academic send-off ceremony for sixteen students enrolled in UTT's Master of Science (M.Sc.) in Innovation, Manufacturing Management and Entrepreneurship (IMME), and the M.Sc. in Innovative Design and Entrepreneurship (IDE), both of which fall under the Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing and Entrepreneurship (MME) Unit.

The initiative traces its origins to a formal proposal submitted to the Embassy of Mexico by the MME Unit. Mr. Flavio González, Head of Trade and Co-operation at the Embassy of Mexico in Port of Spain, took personal ownership of the programme's development, facilitating a structured series of preparatory sessions with the student cohort in the months prior to departure. These sessions covered Mexico's economic architecture, key industries, trade relationships, and the cultural context of doing business in Latin America, giving students a substantive academic foundation well before arriving on Mexican soil.

Senator Professor Emeritus the Honourable Prakash Persad, Minister of Tertiary Education and Skills Training, acknowledged the weight of the occasion in his address, situating the tour within the Ministry's broader commitment to developing globally competitive skills and deepening international partnerships. His endorsement of the initiative and the physical presence of his office at the send-off underscored the alignment between UTT's internationalisation agenda and national skills development priorities.

Among the most memorable elements of the morning was the presentation of individual Certificates of Recognition by the Embassy of Mexico to each student, the academic staff delegation, and key contributors to the programme.

Several students chose to deliver portions of their remarks in Spanish, a detail that was particularly well received by His Excellency Víctor Hugo Morales Meléndez, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United Mexican States to the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, and the Embassy team. The gesture demonstrated cultural awareness and a genuine effort to engage with their host country on its own terms, precisely the disposition that the International Study Tour seeks to cultivate.

The International Study Tour is a mandatory, credit-bearing component of both the M.Sc. IMME and M.Sc. IDE programmes. This edition marks the programme's first visit to Mexico and takes the cohort to Mexico City from May 4 - May 7 for structured industry, institutional, and government engagements.

The tour programme is organised around four thematic areas, each reflecting a core pillar of the MME Unit's curriculum. Engagements include visits to COMCE (Mexico's principal private-sector trade promotion body), the Economic Diplomacy Directorate of the Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores, the food manufacturing company La Moderna, and the Instituto Mexicano del Petróleo.

Students will be assessed throughout the tour, and upon their return, will contribute to a tour report and deliver presentations on their findings and the implications for enterprise and industry development in the Caribbean.

The tour is led by Mr Aaron Ameerali and Dr Jorrel Bisnath of UTT's MME Unit.

CAPTION: Senator Professor Emeritus the Honourable Prakash Persad, Minister of Tertiary Education and Skills Training (front row, fourth from right), His Excellency Víctor Hugo Morales Meléndez, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United Mexican States to the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago (front row, centre), Mr Hansen Narinesingh, Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Tertiary Education and Skills Training (front row, third from right), and Ms Rhoda Patiram, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Tertiary Education and Skills Training (front row, second from left) with Dr Nadine Sangster, Associate Professor and Programme Leader, Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing and Entrepreneurship (MME), UTT (front row, second from right) and faculty and postgraduate students of UTT's MME programme set to visit Mexico City on an international study tour.