This report presents the responses of three experts from Canada, Mexico, and the United States to 18 questions concerning issues in business-higher education alliances in the context of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). They address such issues as the need for alliances; the characteristics of successful (and unsuccessful) alliances; the progress in each country toward establishing alliances; the function of government agencies, professional associations, and community organizations in the formation of alliances; the role of technology in furthering alliances; the advantages of alliances; and the prospects for alliances in the future. The questions are grouped into three sections. In the first, responses to the seven questions about smart alliances produce several definitions of alliances, note various types of alliances, and define the characteristics of "smart" alliances. Responses to the five questions in the second section address what is needed for higher education institutions and business to develop successful alliances, and cover issues such as relationship management and the necessary people skills for alliance building. The six questions of the third section address the required framework for these partnerships to prosper, such as mechanisms for measuring the impact of alliances and prospects for binational and trinational collaboration in the context of NAFTA and the global economy. Appendices present reprints of two brief related articles. (DB)