Border Management

One of the principal approaches NACTS uses to understand North America is through the lens of borders by asking questions such as What are the transactional costs of borders? What are best practices in border management?

To advance our understanding of border management in North America, NACTS hosts research consortium, convenes events, and projects ASU and partner universities' expertise in a number of key venues and initiatives throughout North America.

Key Initiatives

Advancing North American Governance - Feb.13, 2008
This public event will culminate the first of an annual series of "cross-talks" between practitioners and scholars of the U.S.-Canadian and the U.S-Mexican borders. The presenters will discuss the best North American border management practices and lessons learned, with the aim of optimizing the North American governance of the continental "commons." Professor Daniel Drache of York University will provide a Canadian perspective on the future of North America. Professor Paul Ganster of San Diego State University will summarize views from the United States, while a Mexican point of view will be provided by Raúl Rodriguez, former CEO and Managing Director of the North American Development Bank. ASU's College of Liberal Arts & Sciences Executive Dean Alan Artibise will serve as moderator at the event. Event information: 480.727.8538, nactsevents@asu.edu

Border Environmental Institutions panel at 2008 NNASC Conference, "North American Issues: Designing Institutions, Choosing Policies," Vancouver, March 14-15
The North American Center for Transborder Studies will prepare papers and present findings on a panel on border environnmental institutions at a conference organized by the Network on North American Studies in Canada (NNASC) and the University of British Columbia (UBC). The theme of the conference and panel will afford an examination of both national and border environmental institutions and polices at both borders thus a chance to discover, export, and import the best management practices from each nation and both borders. Each of the NACTS partner universities has been invited and at least one paper from both Canada and U.S and two papers from Mexico will be presented.

Southwest Border: Emerging Issues Minicourse - Jan. 7-9, 2008
The North American Center for Transborder Studies and the North American Transportation Competitiveness Research Council hosted a seminar on border issues at Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona on January 7-9, 2008. This program familiarized graduate students and other participants with the current border situation and emerging freight transportation issues in North America from both a public and private sector perspective. The program included a presentation on the Nogales-Mariposa Port of Entry by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The minicourse was the second in an ongoing series sponsored by NACTS.

NACTS sponsors Border Officials’ Cross Talk 2008
In partnership with numerous academics and practitioners, NACTS hosted the first “Border Officials’ Cross Talk,” a discussion on best practices for border management.