[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 237 (Thursday, December 10, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 76672-76674]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-31144]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration


U.S. Education Mission to Central America: Panama and Honduras 
(Optional Stop to Guatemala)

May 2-5, 2016.
AGENCY: International Trade Administration, Department of Commerce.

ACTION: Notice.

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[[Page 76673]]

SUMMARY: The United States Department of Commerce, International Trade 
Administration, is organizing an education mission to Panama and 
Honduras with an optional stop to Guatemala. The Department of Commerce 
is partnering with the Department of State's EducationUSA Advising 
Centers. This trade mission is designed to emphasize U.S. higher 
education, focusing on, in order of importance, intensive English 
language programs, community colleges, summer, undergraduate and 
graduate programs. The trade mission follows a successful trade mission 
to El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua in March 2015 and was of high 
demand given the previous successes.
    This mission will seek to connect U.S. higher education 
institutions to potential students and university/institution partners 
in Central America. The mission will include student fairs organized by 
EducationUSA, embassy briefings, site visits, and networking events. 
Panama City, San Pedro Sula and Guatemala City, are three of the top 
cities for recruiting students from Central America to the United 
States. Participating in the Education Mission, rather than traveling 
to these markets independently, will enhance the participants ability 
to secure appropriate meetings, especially in light of the high level 
engagement and support of U.S. education by the U.S. ambassadors in 
Panama and Honduras.
    Certain criteria must be fulfilled by schools attending this trade 
mission. Summer programs seeking to participate should be appropriately 
accredited by an accreditation body recognized by the U.S. Department 
of Education. Intensive English language programs seeking to 
participate should be accredited by the Commission on English Language 
Programs Accreditation (CEA) or appropriately accredited by an 
accreditation body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. 
Community colleges, undergraduate and graduate programs seeking to 
participate should be accredited by a recognized accreditation body 
listed in Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) or 
Accrediting Council for Education and Training (ACCET), in the 
Association of Specialized and Professional Accreditors (ASPA), or any 
accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

                                Schedule
------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Monday, May 2................  [ssquf] Arrive in Panama City.
                               [ssquf] Check into hotel.
                               [ssquf] Welcome Dinner and Embassy
                                Briefing.
Tuesday, May 3...............  [ssquf] Group departure to secondary
                                school and university visits.
                               [ssquf] Group lunch with American Chamber
                                of Commerce/Panama.
                               [ssquf] Group return to hotel for one-on-
                                one appointments and networking
                                opportunities.
                               [ssquf] Afternoon: Student Information
                                Sessions and Education Fair organized by
                                EducationUSA in conjunction with the
                                Commercial Service.
Wednesday, May 4.............  [ssquf] Group departs Panama City for San
                                Pedro Sula.
                               [ssquf] Arrive in San Pedro Sula; Check
                                into hotel.
                               [ssquf] Group Lunch and Country Briefing
                                with U.S. and Foreign Commercial
                                Service, EducationUSA and U.S. Embassy
                                Public Affairs Officer.
                               [ssquf] Networking coffee with local
                                universities.
                               [ssquf] Afternoon: Student Information
                                Sessions and Education Fair organized by
                                EducationUSA in conjunction with the
                                Commercial Service.
Thursday, May 5..............  [ssquf] Group departs to Guatemala City.
                               [ssquf] Arrive in Guatemala City; Check
                                into Hotel.
                               [ssquf] Lunch and Embassy Briefing with
                                U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service and
                                Public Affairs.
                               [ssquf] One-on-one opportunities with
                                local institutions.
                               [ssquf] Afternoon: Student Information
                                Sessions and Education Fair organized by
                                a local contractor in conjunction with
                                the Commercial Service.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Web site: Please visit our official mission Web site for more 
information: http://export.gov/industry/education/centralamericamission/.

Participation Requirements

    All parties interested in participating in the mission to Central 
America must submit a complete application package for consideration to 
the U.S. Department of Commerce. All applicants will be evaluated on 
their ability to meet certain conditions and best satisfy the selection 
criteria as outlined below. Participants in the mission will be 
selected on a rolling basis to a minimum of 14 and a maximum of 20 
appropriately accredited U.S. educational institutions. Both, U.S. 
educational institutions already recruiting students and developing 
partnerships in the region and those who are new to recruiting and 
developing partnerships in the region may apply. The optional stop of 
Guatemala City will also be available on a rolling basis up to a 
maximum of 10 participants.

Fees and Expenses

    After an institution has been selected to participate on the 
mission, a payment to the Department of Commerce in the form of a 
participation fee is required. The participation fee is $2,550 for one 
principal representative from each non-profit educational institution 
or educational institution with less than 500 employees and $ $2,939 
for for-profit universities with over 500 employees. An institution can 
choose to participate in the optional stop in Guatemala for an 
additional $1,646 for one principal representative from each non-profit 
educational institution or educational institution with less than 500 
employees and $1,872 for for-profit universities with over 500 
employees. The fee for each additional representative is $500. Expenses 
for lodging, some meals, incidentals, and all travel (except for 
transportation to and from airports in-country, previously noted) will 
be the responsibility of each mission participant. The U.S. Department 
of Commerce can facilitate government rates in some hotels. The cost of 
participating in the student fairs at each location will be included in 
the registration fee.

Application

    All interested firms and associations may register via the 
following link: http://emenuapps.ita.doc.gov/ePublic/TM/6R0R.

Exclusions

    The mission fee does not include any personal travel expenses such 
as

[[Page 76674]]

lodging, most meals, local ground transportation, except as stated in 
the proposed agenda, and air transportation from the United States to 
the mission site and return to the United States.

Timeline for Recruitment and Applications

    Mission recruitment will be conducted in an open and public manner, 
including publication in the Federal Register, posting on the Commerce 
Department trade mission calendar (http://export.gov/industry/education/) and other Internet Web sites, press releases to general and 
trade media, direct mail, notices by industry trade associations and 
other multiplier groups, and publicity at industry meetings, symposia, 
conferences, and trade shows. Recruitment for the mission will begin 
immediately and conclude no later than March 1, 2016. Applications for 
the mission will be accepted on a rolling basis. Applications received 
after March 1, 2016, will be considered only if space and scheduling 
constraints permit.

Conditions for Participation

    An applicant must submit a timely, completed and signed mission 
application and supplemental application materials, including adequate 
information on course offerings, primary market objectives, and goals 
for participation. The institution must have appropriate accreditation 
as specified per paragraph one above. The institution must be 
represented at the student fair by an employee. No agents will be 
allowed to represent a school on the mission or participate at the 
student fair. Agents will also not be allowed into the fairs to solicit 
new partnerships. If the Department of Commerce receives an incomplete 
application, the Department may reject the application, request 
additional information, or take the lack of information into account 
when evaluating the applications.
    Participants must travel to both stops in Panama and Honduras on 
the mission. Guatemala is the only optional stop.
    Each applicant must certify that the services it seeks to export 
through the mission are either produced in the United States, or, if 
not, marketed under the name of a U.S. firm and have at least 51 
percent U.S. content of the value of the service.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jeffrey Goldberg, Industry & Analysis, 
Office of Trade Promotion Programs, Washington, DC, Tel: (202) 482-
1706, Email: [email protected].

Frank Spector,
Acting Director, Trade Missions Program.
[FR Doc. 2015-31144 Filed 12-9-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DR-P