programs

CEPAS

In Spanish, Cepas means roots, origin or stock. Our Cepas program touches on the origins of Latin American life. C is for culture, E for economy, P for politics,
A for art, and S for sciences. Through these five areas, we offer our culturally-rich community the best of border life.
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ENERGY

Led by our energy expert, Jeremy Martin , this program is recognized as one of the oldest energy policy initiatives in the Western Hemisphere.
In a region confronted
with ever more complex energy issues, the program examines the geopolitics of energy -- security, integration and investment. Through a series of meetings and conferences that bring together industry analysts, business leaders and policy makers, the Institute offers comprehensive analysis of public policy on oil, electricity, LNG and natural gas.
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ICT

As the region strives to stay in touch, our Information and Communication Technology programs bring together experts on subjects ranging from technology trends to e-Government to discuss sustainable policies that promote socio-economic and business opportunities. Our seminars look at industry convergence and regulatory frameworks as well as the development of home-grown technologies and human capital.
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Project Mexico

From our strategic location at the U.S.-Mexico border, we analyze, discuss and debate Mexico’s economic, social and political development. Under the leadership of Institute President Jeffrey Davidow, Mexican and U.S. policy makers, academics, journalists and students meet for workshops on public health issues, migration, job creation, municipal finance and environmental issues.
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Professional
Workshops

Migration. Poverty. HIV/AIDS and public health. Latino voters and the U.S. presidential election. U.S. and Latin American experts will share their views on these critical social and political issues throughout the year. We encourage reporters, policy makers, government representatives, teachers and students to join us for these comprehensive training programs on the region’s economic and social challenges.
For journalists, we offer the prestigious Jack F. Ealy Science Journalism workshop.
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President's Biography

Ambassador Jeffrey Davidow assumed the presidency of the Institute of the Americas on June 1, 2003. After a 34-year career with the State Department, he retired with the personal rank of Career Ambassador.

During his Foreign Service career, Ambassador Davidow focused his efforts on improving relations between the United States and Latin America. As early as 1979, while serving as a congressional staff aide, he organized the first congressional hearings to explore the feasibility of a North America free trade zone. He went on to hold senior positions in U.S. embassies in South Africa, Zimbabwe, Guatemala and Chile.

He was appointed ambassador to Venezuela in 1993 and in 1996 was named assistant secretary of state, acting as the State Department's chief policy maker for the hemisphere. In 1998, President Bill Clinton named him ambassador to Mexico. President George W. Bush asked him to remain in that post until 2002.

After leaving Mexico in September 2002, Ambassador Davidow went to Harvard University as a Visiting Fellow at the John F. Kennedy School of Government and the David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies .

Ambassador Davidow is the author of two books, “A Peace in Southern Africa: The Lancaster Conference on Rhodesia,” and, “The U.S. and Mexico: The Bear and the Porcupine.”

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