Call for proposals
Project List

Purpose

The Program aims to improve and increase:

• The quality of human resource development and ways to prepare students for work in the global economy;
• North American student mobility;
• institutional partnerships among post-secondary schools in Canada, the United States and Mexico; and
• a trilateral exchange of knowledge and expertise in higher education and training.

Background

The Program was established in 1995, in keeping with the spirit of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), to encourage co-operation in higher education and training among the three countries with a focus on student mobility. Since its inception, universities and colleges from all regions of Canada have participated in a wide range of trilateral projects with institutions in the United States and Mexico.  The trilateral partnership activities include the innovative use of new learning technologies to maximize student participation

Key Outcomes

• Canadian students acquire employment-related international skills, knowledge and expertise, including linguistic and cultural understanding, within a North American context;
• Canadian universities and colleges develop academic credit transfer agreements with partner institutions in the United States and Mexico which facilitate student mobility;
• Students' knowledge and understanding within their disciplines of study is strengthened and enhanced through trilateral development of curriculum, courses, and teaching materials.

Key Facts

• Fifty projects have been approved since the Program began in 1995.
• Projects are currently supported on a four-year basis.
• Each project includes at least six partner institutions - two from each of the three countries. Non-governmental organizations and businesses may also participate.
• The most common areas of study are business, environmental studies, health, law, geology, agriculture, and engineering.
• On average, sixty students are exchanged under each project.
• The average period of student exchange is one academic term or semester.
• Close to fifty Canadian post-secondary institutions are participating in the Program.

Program in Action

• Under one trilateral initiative, knowledge-sharing in an academic exchange project at Canadian, American and Mexican universities is leading to important university and private sector partnerships in the fields of finance, banking and international relations.
• Knowledge transfer is a key aspect of a North American partnership in marine policy and coastal zone management. A network of institutions is collaborating on updating and improving marine research and teaching techniques, ensuring that students receive the full benefit of knowledge being exchanged.

"Participating in the North American Consortium was a rewarding personal and professional experience. It has provided me with valuable insight that I am sure to apply in my studies and practice in Canada. The experience has confirmed for me that planning issues in the three countries are similar in many ways and there is much to be learned from one another with many transferable solutions."

Canadian student participant under North American Program