The German Academic Exchange Service is a joint establishment of all German colleges. With public means it promotes international academic co-operation, especially the exchange of students and scientists. In this regard a particular emphasis is placed on the enrichment of the college community, both in a cultural and academic aspect.

You, Mr Vallejo, were born and commenced your scholastic and academic career in Guadalajara, a city known to most, even if only subconsciously, through the Mariachi. You received your first degree in Accounting and Administration in 1994 at the Universidad Panamericana. You completed further training in Vancouver, Canada, where you periodically worked as tutor and consultant. Following a two-month journey through Europe, your motivation to learn the German language and to explore Europe lead to the fact that you remained in Munich, where you worked for a consulting firm for approximately two years. This career experience was the trigger which developed into a dream to study international consulting, which you were able to fulfil through our Masters Degree in "International Business Consulting". Your course of studies holds particular memories of the contents, the standard offered, the internationalism as well as the few interruptions to be able to better devote yourself to your studies. You learned to appreciate the countryside as well as the excellent public transport possibilities. Furthermore, you expressed criticism which you hopefully directed at the right parties to ensure that it is heard, and consider the following accreditation as extremely important in order to ensure that the graduates receive a recognised international reputation.

For the course of your studies you founded the IBC course committee, which had as its aim the representation of student interests, organising the evaluation of lecturers, as well as being in charge of the IBC news board from the students' perspective. You designed the IBC homepage, you supported your co-students in their personal problems, and you organised countless parties for German and foreign students in Offenburg.

A glance at your website demonstrates your diverse interests and activities and shows that you are able to communicate in five languages, with an indicated lingual knowledge of 20 to 100 percent.

At present you are busy with your Masters Thesis at Allianz Lebesversicherungs-AG in Munich, and are expected to complete this by the end of this year.

It is your aim to work in Germany for a few more years, followed by a further year in a new country, before returning to Mexico, possibly for ever. At this point I can only add that Mexico needs such patriots and Germany needs such friends.

Mr Vallejo, your professional as well as your human capabilities have contributed to the fact that you were nominated for this prize, which carries a monetary reward to the value of € 1000.- I hereby present the prize certificate in the name of the president of the German Academic Exchange Service, Mr Prof. Dr. Berchem, and congratulate you for this award. I wish you all the best for the remainder of your stay in Germany as well as for your future professional life.

Prof. Dr.-Ing. R. Bender