The University of California will bring together academics, policymakers, industry leaders and trade and political experts next Thursday (Sept. 21) for a one-day forum in Washington, D.C., on the renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement and the state of U.S.-Mexico relations.
UC President Janet Napolitano and Alejandro Poiré, dean of the School of Social Sciences and Government at Tecnológico de Monterrey, will serve as forum co-chairs.
At 12:30 p.m. EDT, Napolitano and Poiré will engage in an armchair conversation — moderated by Ronald Brownstein, CNN senior political analyst and senior editor at The Atlantic — about the importance of maintaining a productive relationship between the two countries in the current political climate, and pursuing new avenues for cross-border cooperation outside of traditional diplomatic channels.
Napolitano and Poiré will also hold a joint media availability in the lobby of the UC Washington Center immediately after their conversation concludes, around 1:15 p.m. EDT.
The forum — hosted by UC in partnership with Tecnológico de Monterrey, the Mexican Council on Foreign Relations (COMEXI) and the Progressive Policy Institute — will convene a diverse group of thought leaders to discuss the implications of the renegotiation of this important trade agreement on industries, jobs and growth across the United States, Mexico and Canada.
Participants in the forum’s five panels include Gerónimo Gutiérrez, the current Mexican Ambassador to the U.S.; Michael Froman, former U.S. Trade Representative (2013-17); Arturo Sarukhan, former Mexican Ambassador to the U.S. (2007-13); Kevin de León, California Senate president pro tempore; Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia; Maria Echaveste, co-founder of the Nueva Vista Group; Luis Serra, executive director of the Energy Initiative at Tecnológico de Monterrey; Diana Villiers Negroponte, public policy fellow at the Wilson Center; and more.
The UC Washington Center is located at 1608 Rhode Island Ave., NW in Washington. For more information, including details about specific panels, visit the forum website.