IRVINE : Mexican Educators Will Visit College

Six educators from Hermosillo, Mexico, will visit Irvine Valley College this week to learn about American higher education and discuss international business and commerce issues between the two countries.

A key issue during their visit will be the North American Free Trade Agreement.

The educators are scheduled to attend a World Trade Center of Orange County conference titled “Doing Business With Mexico” and will hear Rep. Christopher Cox (R-Newport Beach) discuss the merits of NAFTA.

The Hermosillo delegation includes instructors and administrators from Universidad del Noroeste.

The visit is part of an ongoing exchange program between the university and Irvine Valley College.

“They are extremely interested in American attitudes toward NAFTA,” said Nick Kremer, dean of economic development for the college.

“They have heard a lot of criticism, so they’d like to see for themselves what the attitudes are.”

The educators plan to spend some of their week sitting in on college classes and talking with instructors about teaching techniques.

They will also tour various sites around Irvine and meet with city officials.

Kremer said the exchange program provides students and faculty members on both sides of the border with unique insights.

“I’d love to one day see a program where business students would go down to Hermosillo for a few months and vice versa,” he said.