MOU Signing to Link TAMIU with Canada

The signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Canada's Century College of British Columbia signals an important new development for Texas A&M International University's College of Business Administration.

TAMIU President Dr. J. Charles Jennett said the accord between TAMIU and Vancouver-based Century College is the latest in TAMIU's ongoing linkages with foreign universities.

"As authorized by Senate Bill 6, we are vigorously pursuing cooperative academic agreements with universities in Mexico and Canada. These agreements will provide unique study and research opportunities for our students and faculty and underscore our commitment to an international education," he explained.

The MOU will be signed in brief ceremonies scheduled in the Great Room Friday, Aug. 16 at 11:30 a.m. Joining the TAMIU president for the ceremony will be Dr. Frank Lee, Chairman of the Board of Century College and the College's President, Dr. Jamie Wallin.

Dr. Khosrow Fatemi, Dean of the College of Business Administration at TAMIU, said the MOU will afford graduate students at TAMIU and Century College the opportunity to receive a split degree with study time in both countries.

"This is an exciting dimension of study that will be afforded these students. We have long offered study opportunities through similar agreements in Mexico and Costa Rica now will be able to offer the Canadian component to our international business study. Those students seeking Masters degrees in International Trade and International Banking will especially benefit from NAFTA study and research in Canada," he explained.

Dr. Fatemi said the program will allow Canadian students to earn split graduate degree in business with study in the US and Canada. Likewise, TAMIU students will earn their graduate degree with some study time undertaken in Canada.

"This is part of our ongoing internationalization of our business programs. We anticipate our first group of TAMIU students to be able to attend classes in Vancouver this January.

Century College is a private, post-secondary institution registered with the Private Post Secondary Education Commission of British Columbia. The College's main campus has three instructional divisions: Academic Preparation in English, University Undergraduate Degree Programmes, and University Graduate Degree Programmes.

Six Regional Education Campuses are located in Burnaby, Coquitlam, North/West Vancouver, Surrey, Richmond, and Vancouver. Century College's agreement with TAMIU replaces the University of Houston as Century College's MBA partner.

Fatemi said that in addition to agreements with Canadian and Mexican universities, the College of Business Administration has similar linkages with universities in Europe and plans an innovative trilateral agreement in the near future.

"We are currently developing a trilateral agreement between TAMIU and Mexican and Canadian counterparts that will afford students an opportunity to complete their degree with study in the US, Mexico and Canada. These programs are being developed with Simon Fraser University of Canada, the University of Quebec, New Mexico State University and the Universidad de las Americas in Puebla, Mexico, among others," he explained.

For additional information on Texas A&M International University's College of Business Administration and its programs, please contact the College at (210) - 326 - 2480.

TAMIU office hours are from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday.