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Live Web Cast: Conference Looks at NAFTA's Past, Present, Future
Benson Collection to receive archives of NAFTA negotiations
Date: February 22 - 23
Location: Eidman Courtroom, UT Law School
*Live Web cast of the conference.*
Cross-border policymakers and experts will examine the history of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and its impact on business, technology, immigration and social policy at a conference this week at The University of Texas at Austin.
"NAFTA and U.S.-Mexico Relations: In Retrospect and Prospect" brings together ambassadors, policymakers and scholars to assess the NAFTA negotiations and resulting agreement.
The Thursday presentations include:
-"Technology Innovation and Business Development" panel discussion at 4 p.m.; and
-Keynote address, "NAFTA: Just the Beginning," by Jim Jones, former U.S. ambassador to Mexico from 1993 to 1997, at 5:30 p.m.
The Friday events include:
-"Labor Relations and Immigration" panel discussion at 9 a.m.;
-"NAFTA: What Lies Ahead?" panel discussion at 3:40 p.m.; and
-An examination of U.S.-Mexico relations by Jorge Guajardo, consul general of Mexico in Austin, at 5:15 p.m.
The conference concludes with the donation of the archive of the U.S.-Mexico Business Committee on the origins of NAFTA to the Nettie Lee Benson Latin American Collection of the University Libraries. The reception is at 7 p.m. at the Rare Books Room, Benson Latin American Collection at Sid Richardson Hall. All conference activities are free and open to the public. For more information, please contact the Teresa Lozano Long Institute of Latin American Studies at 512-471-8593 or visit http://www.utexas.edu/cola/insts/llilas/.
AMBASSADOR SPEAKS AT PRIVATE DINNER
Ambassador Francisco Javier Alejo, former consul of Mexico to Austin, will discuss regional economic development between Texas and Northeastern Mexico at 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 22. Steven Leslie, the university's executive vice president and provost, and Al Frink, former assistant secretary of commerce for manufacturing, will host the private dinner at the Hyatt Regency Hotel at 208 Barton Springs Rd.
Alejo, the executive director of the Mexican development organization INVITE, will examine the regional agreement known as NEMEX-TEX (www.nemex-tex.org), which promotes cross-border economic integration. The university and the International Partnership of Greater Austin coordinated the reception for Mexican and U.S. business and political leaders. Jorge Garces, CEO of the North American Development Bank; Pete Gallego, Texas representative; and Jim Jones, former U.S. ambassador to Mexico (1993-1997), are scheduled to attend.
UNIVERSITY'S MEXICAN INITIATIVES
The "NAFTA and U.S.-Mexico Relations: In Retrospect and Prospect" conference is part of the university strategy to encourage cross-border partnerships and scholarship about the evolving relationship between the United States and Mexico. From the executive MBA program in Mexico City to scientific collaborations, the university maintains strong business and educational partnerships, including:
Supporting Economic Development: In September, President William Powers Jr. and the governor of Nuevo Leon signed an agreement to establish a global innovation center in Monterrey to develop business opportunities that provide access to international markets and capital. In addition, the university's Innovation, Creativity and Capital Institute (known as the IC2 Institute) helps Mexican entrepreneurs develop commercialization strategies and find business partners in the United States.
Building Relationships: Last month, U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Antonio Garza welcomed William Powers Jr., university president, hundreds of university alumni who live in Mexico and representatives of the university's institutional and academic partners on both sides of the U.S.- Mexico border to a reception at his residence in Mexico City. The university has more than 1,200 Mexicans among its international alumni. Nearly 300 students from Mexico are at the university this year pursuing undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees.
Looking Beyond NAFTA: LLILAS will collaborate later this year with professors throughout the university to expand the discussion beyond the trade agreement in a week-long series of activities in Mexico City.
Contact:
Christian Clarke Casarez
Director of Public Affairs, College of Liberal Arts
512-471-4945
christianc@mail.utexas.edu
Mexican Center
512-232-2423
mexctr@uts.cc.utexas.edu
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This event is sponsored by the Mexican Center of the Teresa Lozano Long Institute of Latin American Studies, the Benson Latin American Collection, the IC2 of the Office of the Vice President for Research, the Herb Kelleher Center for Entrepreneurship of the Red McCombs School of Business, the LBJ School of Public Affairs, and the Law School of The University of Texas at Austin.