U of M playing key role in international dialogue on advanced education
On Monday, April 27, 2015, President and Vice-Chancellor David Barnard co-chaired an international meeting at the University of Minnesota to discuss higher education and cooperation between universities in the U.S. Upper Midwest and Canada.
Barnard facilitated dialogue with his counterparts from post-secondary institutions across Canada and from the Dakotas, Iowa and Minnesota, as part of the first visit of His Excellency David Johnston, Governor General of Canada, to the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region.
The roundtable was as an exchange space for leaders of higher education institutions to discuss priority issues concerning promising practices and new developments in higher education, as well as opportunities for cooperation.
“It is indeed an honour to participate in these discussions,” said Barnard. “The University of Manitoba has enjoyed good relationships with our American neighbours and has collaborated with many on research projects and student exchanges. The world’s pressing issues―such as Ebola, climate change and water management―don’t stop at our borders and neither should researchers or students. I look forward to developing more partnerships that will benefit one another’s research and educational practices.”
Common goals of Canadian and U.S. Upper Midwest institutions for higher education were explored, with a particular focus on sharing best practices in inclusiveness for education, innovative education practices in the 21st century and science and innovation collaboration.
More than a dozen presidents and senior vice-presidents from within the academic sector in Canada and the U.S. participated in the roundtable discussions, including President Annette Trimbee of the University of Winnipeg and President Gervan Fearon of Brandon University.