Contact: Karin Matchett, 203-436-2623,
Brian DeVore, LSP, 612-729-6294

7/2/03
WHITE BEAR LAKE, Minn.-"People, Plants, and Profits: The Culture and Political Economy of Corn in Mexico" is a travel seminar developed by the Center for Global Education at Augsburg College and sponsored by the Land Stewardship Project and the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy. The seminar will be held Jan. 2 to Jan. 12, 2004, and the registration deadline is Oct. 15, 2003.

During the seminar, participants will gain firsthand knowledge of the issues surrounding the cultivation and economics of corn in Mexico, both past and present. The seminar will explore agricultural and environmental issues and the idea of sustainability in a Latin American context. It will also cover regulation of agricultural biotechnology, NAFTA and the agricultural economy of free trade, as well as the broader cultural, economic and political history of Mexico. The travel seminar will be based in Cuernavaca, about an hour south of Mexico City. Each day will include field trips and opportunities for interaction with people who represent a diverse cross-section of Mexican society.

The trip leader, Karin Matchett, is an historian of science and agriculture who has lived and traveled extensively throughout Mexico and South America. She researches and writes on the history of agriculture and science with a focus on corn in Mexico. The trip is being done in collaboration with the Center for Global Education. The center provides cross-cultural educational opportunities in order to foster critical analysis of local and global conditions.

The cost of the seminar is $1,205, which covers all expenses in Mexico. Participants are responsible for their own airfare. A $200 deposit payable to the Center for Global Education is due upon registration.

Academic credit can be arranged through an independent study arrangement with your institution. For an application form or more information, contact: Karin Matchett, Department of History, Yale University, P.O. Box 208324, New Haven, CT 06520-8324; phone: 203-436-2623; e-mail: karin.matchett@yale.edu. Information is also available at www.augsburg.edu/global/triplist.html or www.augsburg.edu/global/its.html.

-30-