UNM’s Office of International Programs and Studies is sponsoring a forum on improving New Mexico’s role in international education Friday at the Albuquerque Convention Center.
The meeting will bring together educators, business people and community leaders from around the state to discuss ways to promote more educational and cultural exchanges between New Mexico and countries in Latin America, Asia, Europe and other parts of the world.
U.S. Rep. Tom Udall, D-N.M., will be the featured speaker at the New Mexico Town Meeting on International Educational Exchanges and will deliver a speech titled “The Federal Role in Promoting International Education.”
“He was a last-minute addition to the program, but we are happy to have him,” said Kenneth Carpenter, a UNM international program adviser. “We invited him because we want his perspective on what the new president’s federal government’s policies toward international education, and we are very curious whether the new administration’s will look at increasing funding for international education.”
Philip O. Geier, president of Armand Hammer United World College of the West, will also address the conference on “The Importance of International Exchanges to New Mexico.”
The opening address will be given by Matthew Hilgendorf, an international trade specialist with the U.S. Department of Commerce. Hilgendorf will speak about “The Changing Role of New Mexico in the Global Economy.”
The event will also showcase panel discussions involving representatives from educational and research institutions and citizens groups involved in international exchanges.
“It’s going to be a great event involving people from universities, high schools, community colleges and also from citizens’ organizations that are involved in international education,” Carpenter said. “It’ll be a meeting to talk about what we can do in New Mexico to promote more international education and more exchanges with other countries.”
The town meeting is funded primarily by the National Humanities Center through a grant from the Alliance for International Educational and Cultural Exchanges, an association of nonprofit organizations involved in international exchanges. The Institute of International Education, Rocky Mountain Regional Center and the New Mexico Public Universities Globalization Consortium are co-sponsoring the event.
UNM offers a number of international exchange programs for students and community members through the Office of International Programs and Studies, The Latin American and Iberian Institute, the Continuing Education Center and several other departments. UNM also participates in the New Mexico Public Universities Globalization Consortium, a cooperative organization that allows students at any of the six public universities in New Mexico to attend exchange programs sponsored by the other schools.
“This is an invitation-only event for educators, political officials and people in the community who we thought could contribute significantly to this discussion,” Carpenter said.
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