Supporting CIGI’s mandate to promote research, form networks and foster dialogue to improve international governance, the Portal for North America (PNA) is the centerpiece of North American Governance activities at CIGI. By establishing a vast database of documents and online resources; generating a large network of communities, experts, policymakers, academics and students; and promoting knowledge exchange through a collection of teaching resources, including case studies and teaching notes, CIGI’s PNA seeks to identify and address key national and supranational issues confronting the North American continent today. In the face of global competition, Canada, the United States and Mexico have worked together through institutions and agreements such as the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), the North American Competiveness Council (NACC), the Security and Prosperity Partnership (SPP) among others. Across the continent, North Americans are engaging in new debates about the economy, culture, the environment, migration and security. Greater academic research and public outreach programs are required to effectively govern an increasingly complex regional structure.

The Portal for North America is a unique, interdisciplinary, online utility that facilitates a greater understanding of North American issues and fosters interaction between the many public and private players in the North American arena. In collaboration with partners in each of the three countries, PNA raises the policy dialogue in English, French and Spanish. As it continues to grow, PNA will expand its capacity and remain at the forefront of continental debates, facilitating decisions that will create vital, secure and prosperous North American communities for the twenty-first century.

To be developed in collaboration with partners in each of these three countries, this portal is intended to spur a greater understanding of North American issues, and will foster interaction between the many private and public research and policy communities involved in this area.

Teaching Resources: Through its online Teaching Resources, PNA facilitates knowledge exchange pertinent to North American studies. Its expert-written teaching modules are built around a primary text, case study or report and feature Teaching Nodes which highlight the main themes of each piece, offer suggestions for incorporation into courses and insight on how to use them to instruct students.

Experts Directory: A major component of CIGI’s Portal for North America is its Experts Directory. Constantly expanding, this unique tool provides a current and comprehensive searchable database of experts on all facets of North American studies who pursue research with relevant policy implications for North American governance.

CIGI Library: In collaboration with its Content Partners, CIGI provides access to research papers, policy briefs, journals and other digital documents relevant to all aspects of North American governance. Like the Experts Directory, the Library includes a comprehensive search tool and is always growing to provide the most up-to-date North American scholarly content.