In 2014, The University of Texas at El Paso will celebrate the 100th anniversary of our founding in 1914 as the Texas State School of Mines and Metallurgy. Like most such major milestones, UTEP’s Centennial offers not only an occasion to celebrate our distinguished history, but also a window through which we can begin contemplating our bright future as we become the first national research university with a 21st century student demographic. The Centennial Lecture Series will help us focus our lens on UTEP’s second century by inviting speakers to the UTEP campus to share their perspectives on a broad range of contemporary issues that are likely to impact our society, culture and lives in the years ahead. We invite you to join us in exploring these important and timely topics and expanding our thinking about how they may help shape UTEP’s next 100 years.


President Diana Natalicio
The University of Texas at El Paso
and
The Honorable Roberto Rodriguez
Consul General of Mexico
cordially invite you to attend a
UTEP Centennial Lecture
“NAFTA at Almost 20 Years- Growth Perspectives”
Dr. Herminio Blanco
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
5 p.m.
Undergraduate Learning Center, Room 106
UTEP Campus
Reception to follow presentation


Dr. Herminio Blanco founded Soluciones Estrategicas, a corporation specializing in advising firms on international trade, antitrust, and investment issues and providing strategic advice on merger and acquisitions with Mexican corporations, in 2002. He is also founder and chairman of the board of IQOM, a consulting company which provides an online day-by-day analysis on trade issues affecting corporations doing business in Latin America. He is a member of the boards of BANORTE, BLADEX, CYDSA and ARCELOR MITTAL STEEL. He is a member of the advisory boards of Mitsubishi Corporation and SSA Mexico. Dr. Blanco is also an advisor to some of the leading Japanese corporations (Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Sumitomo, Panasonic and Isuzu). He has served in four Mexican presidential administrations. Dr. Blanco was Minister of Trade and Industry (1994-2000), Vice Minister for International Trade Negotiations (1993-94), Vice Minister for International Trade (1988-90), advisor to the President of Mexico (1985-88), and advisor to the Minister of Finance (1978-80). Dr. Blanco is well known for his role as Mexico’s chief negotiator of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) (1990-93). In addition to NAFTA, he was responsible for the successful negotiation of the Mexico-European Union free trade agreement and seven free trade agreements with ten Latin American countries and with Israel. He also helped launch the negotiations for a free trade agreement with Japan. Dr. Blanco obtained his Ph.D. in economics from the University of Chicago in 1978 and taught at Rice University from 1980 to 1985.