The North American Studies Consortium (NASC) recognizes there are second generational challenges, both political and educational, associated with NAFTA. The consortium's essential objective is to develop and implement North American components into existing Canadian, American, and Latin American Studies programs. Unfortunately, university education on continental integration tends to focus on commerce and is usually parochial in content. Political and cultural issues remain largely understudied in the Social Sciences, particularly in American, Canadian and Latin American Studies programs. These students often remain unaware of the benefits of integration and the different ways that challenges are being resolved in neighboring countries, although as regional specialists, they will be asked to address them. The consortium's innovative trilateral curriculum aims to broaden students' academic training and intercultural competencies, so they can grasp the political and social dynamics that underlie problem-solving in all three countries. The founding members of the consortium include Georgia Southern University, Bowling Green State University, Universidad Veracruzana, Universidad de Sonora, Mount Allison University, and Wilfrid Laurier University.

For additional information, please email Dr. Kevin Spooner: kspooner@wlu.ca.