When the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) came into fruition in the early 1990s, there were high hopes and expectations on what this emerging economic block could achieve. Although the agreement involved extensive conversations that led to regulations that facilitated trade across the region--the main intent of NAFTA--the same was not…

This article is based on the Mexican case study undertaken as part of the comparative study of the implementation and impact of National Qualifications Frameworks (NQF). Even though Mexico does not have a comprehensive NQF, the country has considerable experience in the development of labour competence technical standards; these share some aims…

Previous studies explored how urban or rural place of origin influences the source of social capital. There remains a need to consider how the place of origin affects the type of ties--family, friends, or "paisanos" (countrymen)--with those who provide support to migrants. We use data from the Mexican Migration Project (MMP128) and…

We undertake a comparative investigation of how neoliberal restructuring characterizes the third food regime in the three North American countries. By contrasting the experience of the two developed countries of the United States and Canada with that of the developing country of Mexico, we shine some empirical light on the differential impact of…

Professional mutual recognition agreements (MRAs) are one of the policy instruments employed in global and regional trade agreements to facilitate the mobility of skilled labour. While such agreements have been noted in the literature examining cross-border academic mobility, little is known about how they impact higher education. This paper…

This study explored the perceptions of Mexican senior government agency officials with regard to the impact of NAFTA on training and development practices in Mexico. This study was conducted using a phenomenological tradition within qualitative research. The major findings of the study indicate that Mexican senior government agency officials…

This study explored the perceptions of Mexican senior government agency officials with regard to the impact of NAFTA on training and development practices in Mexico. This study was conducted using a qualitative research design. Based on the participants' perceptions, NAFTA motivated the creation and development of national programs for training…

It might sound like a no-brainer that being bilingual or multilingual helps students planning engineering and just about any other career. But it is certainly true and is becoming more important as the economies of nations become more intertwined. What's more, being able to go beyond mere language ability and understand cultural distinctions are…

In March 2009, the author accompanied 19 university students to El Paso, Texas, for an alternative spring break (ASB). The author and the students traveled to the urban zip code with the lowest per capita income in the country to study U.S.-Mexico border issues. In the ASB program's language, they sought to gain "new perspectives on social…

Education in Mexico wants restructuring since the signing of the North America Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) by Canada, Mexico and the United States in 1994. In higher education, a new policy has been adopted to increase the enrollment, but a simultaneous improvement in quality is also needed. Nevertheless it clashes with old academic structures.…

For Mexico, a country characterised by a high degree of inequality both with regard to income and education, concepts such as the "knowledge-based economy" and Lifelong Learning are even more elusive than in other countries. Given its poor school system and the large part of the adult population who are without any basic educational…

The new objects of public and open prejudice are Hispanics, primarily Mexicans due to their large population and their proximity to the United States. Because the Iraq War is such a disaster on all fronts, conservatives and reactionaries have shifted their patriotic fervour from invading foreign countries to inveighing against brown-skinned…

The North American Free Trade Agreement and internal changes in Mexico will promote change in Mexican higher education. Higher education in the United States can and should play a supportive role in helping enrich Mexico's intellectual life and research, which would in turn benefit U.S. interests as well. (MSE)

Outlines the deep and complex challenge faced by Mexico in its quest for closer economic integration with so-called advanced economies. Discusses extensive poverty and illiteracy, and the systematic exclusion of many people from access to the very kinds of learning required by Mexico's economic project. Argues that extraordinary efforts and…

This working paper discusses the critical role that higher education in the United States and Mexico must play since the implementation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The paper gives an overview of recent transformations in areas of economic development and business needs which require that higher education better prepare…