About the Conference

Join leaders and practitioners of higher education, business, government and students in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada for CONAHEC’s 11th North American Higher Education Conference!

North Americans share many historical, cultural, and linguistic bonds and many common issues to face. With the signing of NAFTA in 1994, our region has become inextricably linked by growing economic ties. Leaders in North America recognize that regional and individual community prosperity depends largely on the global competencies of our future professionals -- today's students. Governmental and educational leaders acknowledge that higher education institutions in North America must be more proactive and offer students opportunities to gain international expertise by becoming more internationally oriented while strengthening local connections in their teaching, research and public service functions.

More than a decade after NAFTA was launched, it is increasingly evident that our region cannot isolate itself, but must rather develop stronger and more productive linkages both internally and with other world regions. Higher education has an important role to play in connecting North America with the rest of the world.

Together, we will revitalize the North American higher education collaborative agenda for the new political, economic and educational context in which we live today. We will focus on:

1. Further improving mechanisms to promote quality assurance and mutual recognition of courses and degrees in North America and beyond
2. Identifying current challenges and opportunities in North American higher education
3. Sharing best practices in efforts to internationalize institutions and their curricula, while maintaining and strengthening local institutional connections
4. Comparing experiences in developing, implementing and promoting student exchange programs in other regions
5. Fostering a more active participation between institutions, governments and the business sector in international education and collaboration

Concurrent sessions will showcase strategies and best practices in areas such as:

• Promoting and strengthening North American studies across the continent and beyond
• Student and faculty mobility
• Professional mobility and market needs
• International higher education and local economic development
• Providing international experience to those unable to leave their home country

Conference highlights will include:

• Overviews by top-level officials representing higher education, government and business regarding key issues confronting North America
• Working group sessions
• Structured networking exercises to meet North American collaborative project partners from key institutions
• A gala awards dinner honoring individuals who have contributed to higher education collaboration in North America
• Joint sessions with the Student Organization of North America (SONA).

The 11th North American Higher Education Conference is organized by the Consortium for North American Higher Education Collaboration. CONAHEC is a tri-national consortium linking higher education institutions in North America.

Our co-conveners are:

• American Council on Education (ACE)
• American Association of Community Colleges (AACC)
• Asociación Nacional de Universidades e Instituciones de Educación Superior (ANUIES)
• Association of Canadian Community Colleges/Association des collèges communautaires du Canada (ACCC)
• Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada/Association des universités et collèges du Canada (AUCC)
• OECD'S Programme for Higher Education Management (IMHE)

CONAHEC is fortunate to benefit from the assistance of the largest and most distinguished system of institutions in the Province of Quebec. Our host for this exciting event is the

University of Quebec System

CONAHEC sincerely thanks the following organizations for their generous support of this North American Higher Education Conference.

Educational Organizations:

• CÉGEP International

Government:

• Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada

Business Sector:

If you would like to find out about how to exhibit at or sponsor this event, please visit our exhibitors or sponsors page.

Some of our invited speakers include:

Jorge Balán, Researcher, Centro de Estudios de Estado y Sociedad, ARGENTINA, & Visiting Professor, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto, CANADA

Sylvia Crowder, Program Officer, Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education, U.S. Department of Education, USA

Everett Egginton, President-elect, Association of International Educators (NAFSA), USA

Eva Egron Polak, Secretary-General and Executive Director, International Association of Universities (IAU), FRANCE

Evelyne Foy, Cégep international, CANADA

Madeleine Green, Vice President for International Initiatives, American Council on Education (ACE), USA

Leonard Haynes III, Senior Advisor, Office of Postsecondary Education, U.S. Department of Education, USA

Norma Angélica Juárez Salomo, Presidenta, Educación Internacional Asociación Mexicana para la Educación Internacional, MEXICO

David Longanecker, Executive Director, Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education, USA

Pierre Moreau, President, Université du Québec System, CANADA

Juan Carlos Romero Hicks, Director, CONACYT, MEXICO

Jamil Salmi, Education Sector Manager, The World Bank, USA

Julio C. Theiler, Secretario Académico, Asociación de Universidades "Grupo Montevideo", URUGUAY

Rodolfo Tuirán, Subsecretario de Educación Superior, Secretaría de Educación Pública, MEXICO

Marijk van der Wende, President of the Governing Board, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development Programme on Institutional Management in Higher Education, FRANCE

Display of Literature

A publications table will be available for participants to display promotional brochures relevant to the conference. Space is limited. You may send your brochures to yourself at the hotel prior to the conference or bring them with you.