As business ties between the U.S. and Latin America continue to grow as a result of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), the need for business professionals who are proficient in the Spanish language and the Latin American culture becomes even greater.

To meet workforce demand, The Fox School of Business and Management has expanded its study abroad program to Mexico, as part of its new agreement with the Instituto Tecnologico Autonomo de Mexico (ITAM) beginning Fall 2003.

ITAM is one of the top-ranked schools in Mexico and Latin America, and is one of only two schools in Mexico accredited by AACSB International, the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.

"Through our new exchange program, students have the unique opportunity to study international trade, marketing, and business practices from a global/cross cultural perspective," said M. Moshe Porat, dean of The Fox School. "To align ourselves with such an internationally regarded institution as ITAM helps us meet student demand and augment our existing opportunities for study in Japan, Italy, India, and France."

To be eligible for the program, Fox School students must be enrolled full-time, have completed two years of full-time study, have a cumulative GPA of 3.00 and be sufficiently proficient in Spanish to take classes taught in that language. Students admitted to ITAM will pay full-time Fox School tuition and will be required to be enrolled at ITAM as full-time students.

Participants in the program will have access to ITAM's academic and recreational facilities that include state-of-the-art computer labs and a newly renovated gymnasium and soccer field. ITAM is equipped with specialized facilities for designing econometric models, applied project evaluations, and market analyses. In addition, students will have access to the campus library, which contains over 28,000 volumes and provides connections to national and international data banks and information services.

Founded in 1946 and located near Mexico City, ITAM was established to offer students the opportunity to attend a private university dedicated to quality teaching and research in business related disciplines.

For more information on the ITAM exchange program, contact Kim Cahill, Assistant Director, IGMS/CIBER at (215) 204-3778, kcahill@temple.edu, or visit the Temple IGMS/CIBER website: http://www.sbm.temple.edu/ciber/programs.htm .