Conference on U.S.-Canada Relations Set For Purdue

Press Release

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The NEXTRANS Center, with the assistance of the Government of Canada and the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT), is hosting a conference on U.S. – Canada border trade, security, and mobility challenges at Purdue University on Monday, November 16, 2009.

The conference will run from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. in the Purdue Memorial Union at Purdue University in West Lafayette, IN. Registration is $50. The day-long event will provide an opportunity for researchers and private-sector stakeholders in the Great Lakes Region to engage in a dialogue with high-level officials of the U.S. and Canadian governments.

Greg Nadeau, Deputy Administrator of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) will be delivering the keynote address. Robert Noble, Canadian Consul General, Detroit and Kevin Johnson, U.S. Consul General, Toronto will speak on the significance of a seamless and secure border with regards to bi-lateral trade between the two countries. Speaking on security aspects will be Paul Haddow, Director General, Strategic Policy and Governance, Canada Border Services Agency. Industry presenters will include David Bradley, CEO, Canadian Trucking Association and Steve Russell, representing the American Trucking Association. A number of additional border trade, security, and mobility experts from the public, private, and academic sectors will join them to discuss:

-Major challenges and opportunities to achieve the right balance between trade goals and security needs from the perspectives of the U.S. and Canadian Governments;

-Regional strategies for developing major gateways and corridors with collaborations between transportation stakeholders at the Federal and State/Provincial levels;

-The “thickening” of the border from the perspective of manufacturers and carriers and the feasibility of short and near-term measures by border agencies;

-How academia can fill the data and information gaps to facilitate integrated, coordinated and performance based operation and governance of the border region; and

-Short, medium and long-term opportunities for collaboration and joint actions between government, industry and academia in the region and between the two countries.

Please visit http://www.nextrans.org/conference for complete agenda, online registration, travel information, and sponsorship.

The NEXTRANS Center is the USDOT Region V Regional University Transportation Center, led by Purdue University and administered by Purdue Discovery Park. NEXTRANS was established in 2007 based on an award from USDOT’s Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA), in order to implement a multidisciplinary program of transportation research, education, and technology transfer.

Organizations assisting in the conference development include the Federal Highway Administration; Transport Canada; Customs and Border Protection; General Services Administration; Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Canada; Detroit Regional Chamber; Indiana DOT; Michigan DOT; and Ministry of Transportation, Ontario.

Source: Purdue University