(NAME-MCE) CONAHEC 12th Annual Conference October 8-10, 2008 Monterrey, Mexico

[Anselmo Villanueva]

Consortium for North American Higher Education Collaboration (CONAHEC)

12th North American Higher Education Conference, Higher Education
Collaboration: Local Responses in a Global Context

October 8-10, 2008  Monterrey, Mexico

http://www.conahec.org/conahec/Conferences/Monterrey2008/english/EN_Description.html

Stakeholders interested in higher education collaboration in Mexico, the
U.S. and Canada are invited to submit presentation proposals for the
Consortium for North American Higher Education Collaboration's (CONAHEC)
Twelfth North American Higher Education Conference. CONAHEC's conference
"Higher Education Collaboration: Local Responses in a Global Context" will
take place from October 8-10, 2008 in Monterrey, Mexico and will be hosted
by the Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León within the framework of their 75th
Anniversary.

Join leaders and practitioners of higher education, business, government and
students in the city of Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico for CONAHEC's 12th
North American Higher Education Conference!

North Americans share many historical, cultural, and linguistic bonds and
many common issues to face. With the signing of NAFTA in 1994, our region
has become inextricably linked by growing economic ties. Leaders in North
America recognize that regional and individual community prosperity depends
largely on the global competencies of our future professionals -- today's
students.

Governmental and educational leaders acknowledge that higher education
institutions in North America must be more proactive and offer students
opportunities to gain international expertise by becoming more
internationally oriented while strengthening local connections in their
teaching, research and public service functions.More than a decade after
NAFTA was launched, it is increasingly evident that our region cannot
isolate itself, but must rather develop stronger and more productive
linkages both internally and with other world regions. Higher education has
an important role to play in connecting North America with the rest of the
world.

Together, we will revitalize the North American higher education
collaborative agenda for the new political, economic and educational context
in which we live today. We will focus on:

1. Further improving mechanisms to promote quality assurance and mutual
recognition of courses and degrees in North America and beyond
2. Identifying current challenges and opportunities in North American higher
education
3. Sharing best practices in efforts to internationalize institutions and
their curricula, while maintaining and strengthening local institutional
connections
4. Comparing experiences in developing, implementing and promoting student
exchange programs in other regions
5. Fostering a more active participation between institutions, governments
and the business sector in international education and collaboration

Concurrent sessions will showcase strategies and best practices in areas
such as:

o Promoting and strengthening North American studies across the continent
and beyond
o Student and faculty mobility
o Professional mobility and market needs
o International higher education and local economic development
o Providing international experience to those unable to leave their home
country

Conference highlights will include:

* Overviews by top-level officials representing higher education, government
and business regarding key issues confronting North America
* Working group sessions
* Structured networking exercises to meet North American collaborative
project partners from key institutions
* A gala awards ceremony honoring individuals who have contributed to higher
education collaboration in North America
* Joint sessions with the Student Organization of North America (SONA).