The National Polytechnic Institute is one of the leading institutions of higher education and research in Mexico and Latin America. It was founded in 1936 with the specific goal of contributing to the technological and industrial development of the country. The institute excels in the fields of engineering, science, health and life sciences, economics and business administration, and its research into these fields of study has earned high praise. The institute has also 16 senior high schools, which along with its 26 higher education schools cater more than 170,000 students up to and including PhD level. For the last five years, the institute has obtained over USD $10 million in funding for more than 150 research projects. The IPN is the third largest producer of scientific literature in Mexico, publishing over 1,100 papers in international peer reviewed journals, 250 book chapters and 100 books in 2010 alone. The institute main facilities and headquarters are located in Mexico City, but it has presence in 23 of Mexico’s 31 federated states. It offers more than 100 graduate programs, 78 of which are registered in the national list of high quality graduate programs by the National Council of Science and Technology. Of these, eight graduate programs have attained the status of “international Quality Program”, which is the highest possible level accorded by the council. During the last five years, the National Polytechnic Institute has helped form several internal research networks with the aim of bringing together more than 850 professors and scientist to undertake high impact and multidisciplinary research projects. The focus of these networks has been wide-ranging including: the generation of solar energy; the synthesis of nanomaterial and nanostructures; hydrogen technology; computer security; robotics and mechatronics; cancer, obesity and diabetes; and studies in poverty and development.