FY 2000 PROJECT ABSTRACTS

The North American Alliance for Sustainable Water Resources will focus on the development of a program of study in the area of sustainable water resource management. The program will allow students from the United States, Canada, and Mexico to become knowledgeable in the area of cross-border water resource issues. Obtaining adequate supplies of water for present and future demand is one of the greatest environmental and economic issues facing the world today. The universities in this consortium were chosen not only for their diverse expertise in water resource management, but for their geographical diversity. The location of each university provides a different context with regard to climate, proximal water resources, and the local social and political dimensions of water resource management. This program trains students to think about water resources as a global problem.

Total US funding for 4 years: $213,840

Subject Area: Law

The impact of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) on cross-border legal issues has resulted in an internationalization of the legal systems in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Since profound differences exist in the legal cultures in all three countries, the North American Consortium on Legal Education is committed to increasing the capabilities of each member institution to provide quality legal education to meet the current and future demands of the legal profession in North America. Training law students to be proficient in the languages and legal nuances of different national systems is becoming increasingly recognized as important in the legal professions.

Total US funding for 4 years: $211,124

Students today need to be able to capitalize on the rapidly emerging opportunities in North American in engineering, technology, and business. The Technology for Industry through Mobility in Educational Sectors (TIMES) consortium will establish tri-national college and university accredited exchanges with actual field learning experiences that will prepare students for technical jobs in high demand within the NAFTA countries. Increasingly, students of technology and business must be prepared to communicate about technical issues in more than one language, deal with cultural differences in social and economic practices, and have a solid understanding of the historical, cultural, and economic conditions that make up the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The TIMES consortium will build upon the strengths of the participating institutions to develop a common core curriculum in technology, engineering, and business.

Total US funding for 4 years: $215,397

The Consortium for Design Education (CODE) will develop curricula designed to prepare students for enhanced professional mobility in North America in the fields of interior design and construction. Students will work on international teams to solve design problems in both technologically mediated and face-to-face environments. Problem-solving exercises introduced as virtual student collaborations will be followed by semester-long periods of study abroad involving classroom-based study and directed field experiences. The project is expected to provide a foundation for common accreditation of interior design programs in Canada, Mexico, and the U.S.

Total US funding for 4 years: $ 199,116

This consortium project will focus on the development of a program of study in the area of urban development. Throughout Canada, Mexico, and the United States fast evolving urban lifestyles have had significant impacts on the size and form of our cities. In their wake, urban planners have been increasingly challenged to identify and apply solutions to "moving targets" or urban problems. The originality and interest of this project lies in its addressing both the natural and the human sciences which this raises, and its use of a mix of sources and technologies to identify solutions and gather data to create a trilateral database. The program will allow students from the United States, Canada, and Mexico to become knowledgeable in the area of cross-border urban studies issues. The universities in this consortium were chosen for their diverse expertise in comparative urban studies and for their geographical diversity. The location of each university provides a different context with regard urban sprawl and related solutions.

Total U.S. Funding: 4 years $210,764

The North American Free Trade Agreement is rapidly expanding exchange of goods and services among the United States, Canada, and Mexico, as well as multi-national manufacturing activities. Engineering norms and standards must now take into account input from the international makers, users, and buyers of technologies, which adapt products to their diverse needs and operating conditions. This project focuses on preparing technically trained professionals, particularly engineers, who have a sound appreciation of the specific norms and business cultures of the three countries.

Total US funding for 4 years: $209,996

This project will establish a North American curriculum that will foster a regional civic mindedness among students in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. A portable curriculum developed in conjunction with several community-based organizations, businesses, and government agencies will strengthen students' understanding of the North American civic society and how people can and should actively participate in planning their local and regional futures. Through this project, students will probe how local and North American issues intersect to shape a regionally focused civic society and sustainable community. Students will work in numerous interdisciplinary-based settings, including, but not limited to, immigration; environmental organizations; community-building programs and organizations; local, state, or national governments; and resource use and preservation organizations and agencies.

Total US funding for 4 years: $204,468

This project will focus on two critical areas: fostering student exchanges within the context of multilateral curricular development and establishing a network of scholars who will work towards the development of joint curricular and delivery. Echoing key objectives of the North American Free Trade Agreement, the project will result in a freer, fairer, and more effective movement of ideas and opportunities. The consortium will develop international leadership by enhancing student knowledge of the different countries. It also will develop a new international model for the delivery of education to students and create a network of individuals and activities that will promote business, government, university, and student resources within North America.

Total U.S. Funding for 4 years, $206,998

This project will establish a North American Studies curriculum with a special focus on linking gender and other forms of social exclusion to globalization and governance, conflict resolution, negotiation, and leadership. The program of study will emphasize pre-law, public administration, and gender/women's studies. Students and faculty will gain increased understanding of the challenges to globalization, continental politics, and governance through the development of a curriculum that will use web-based instruction as well as student exchanges to advance gender equality, social cohesion, and mutual trust and accountability between men and women.

Total US funding for 4 years: $208,640

Despite socio-economic and cultural differences found in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, health problems and issues are similar, regardless of age or social status. In the course of recent transformations in the health care systems and health care delivery, ambulatory medicine has begun to overtake hospitalization as a preferred means of treatment. The result is that primary health care increasingly falls on families and communities that are not always well prepared to take on these new responsibilities. In the context of globalization and integration of the North American countries, this project promotes mobility for nursing students to work in communities in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The goal of this project is to promote effective training of nurses to work effectively in diverse socio-economic and cultural contexts anywhere in North America.

Total U.S. Funding for 4 years: $207,085