2003-2004 Western Hemispheric Trade Keynote Speaker Series Concludes April 19

The Texas A&M International University 2003-2004 Western Hemispheric Trade Keynote Speaker Series will conclude on Monday, April 19, with a discussion of possible economic integration in the western hemisphere.

Offered by the College of Business Administration's Center for the Study of Western Hemispheric Trade (CSWHT), the lecture will take place at 7:30 p.m. in the Western Hemispheric Trade Building, room 116. The event is free and open to the public.

Dr. Chandler Stolp, director of the Inter-American Policy Studies Program at the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at University of Texas Austin, will present "Economic Integration of the Americas."

Virginia Vincent, associate director of the CSWHT, said that attendees will understand the advantages and disadvantages of economic integration and the possible obstacles.

"Dr. Stolp is extremely well-qualified to comment on this topic. In addition to his position at UT-Austin, where he also serves as assistant graduate adviser and coordinator of the school's Ph.D. program, he chaired a task force in the early 1990s on the impact of the proposed North American Free Trade agreement on Texas manufacturing and currently serves as UT's Principal Investigator for a multi-year USAID subcontract to assist the government of El Salvador in strengthening the operation of the legislative branch. He is the author or coauthor of scores of scholarly publications and has worked as a statistical and economic consultant in numerous public and private agencies in Texas and throughout Latin America," she noted.

Vincent explained the Series was created to meet the needs of the community.

"The Series is now in its third year and has evolved from an occasional series to a monthly lecture series aimed at shedding light through expert lectures on the many aspects of trade in our hemisphere. The Series presents practical and targeted lectures imparted by distinguished leaders, recognized experts and outstanding scholars in the trade and international business arenas," she said.

For more information about any of the lectures in the Series, please contact Vincent at 326.2820, visit offices in the Western Hemispheric Trade Center, room 206, or e-mail cswht@tamiu.edu.

University office hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.