NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement) has had
a tremendous impact on Texas and Mexico. CAFTA (Central
American Free Trade Agreement) could have a similar
impact on Panama, Columbia, Costa Rica, and other
Central American countries. The impact of widening
the Panama Canal and ports like Lázaro Cárdenas,
Alta Mira, and the new Punta Colonet tied to these
trade initiatives will greatly impact Texas, Mexico,
Central America, and other US States and Countries
around the Western Hemisphere. Asian trade routes
and European firms are closely tied to this region
as well. The region holds great opportunities and
more than a few threats to the United States economy.
This class will use this zone and partner firms in
Mexico, Panama, and Costa Rica to practice basic global
skills and solve supply chain problems in a real world
setting.
The Industrial Distribution program has identified
multiple companies in the above countries that are
interested in hosting the course. We have an industry
sponsor for this course that have already provided
$30,000 in support for student travel. The Industrial
Distribution program is also actively seeking an endowment
to support the course expenses in times of economic
downturns when the companies may not be in a position
to financially support the course. The program is
planning to make this course a sustainable, yearly
program that provides the students with the global
experience and knowledge.
ENGR 410: Global Engineering: Students will learn
a framework for the systematic analysis of globalization
in technical endeavors. Decision making methods that
allow the integration of quantitative and qualitative
factors will be studied and applied in the context
of global distribution. Applications will be based
on the analysis of real cases, field trips with industry
experts, and student projects. This course addresses
the importance of international supply chain management.
The material gives an overview of international logistics,
global strategy for logistics and supply chain management,
and structuring the global supply chain. The international
trade environment, pricing, competitive relationships
among international carriers and transport intermediaries,
location decisions, international sourcing and distribution
are the focus areas for the course. This focus includes
classic topics such as the role of ports and airports
in international product movements, the economics
of international air and ocean carriers, and the freight
forwarding industry. We will take special interest
in the role of government intervention and regulations
and security and risk management for international
supply chains.
IDIS 489: International Sales & Marketing: Students
will learn international distribution sales &
marketing. This course is designed to be taught over
five weeks in Mexico, Panama and Costa Rica. Students
will gain exposure to how business is conducted in
different counties, different channels of distribution,
sales organizations, sales planning, distribution
marketing and customer relationships. The faculty
will teach the concepts of international sales and
marketing concepts, conduct facility tours, conduct
problem solving sessions, and experience local culture
and business practices. Sales engineering and Field
Application Engineering with Mexican and Central American
firms will be emphasized.
Eligibility
