June 20, 2013 - 2:47am
Vancouver Island University’s (VIU) President, Dr. Ralph Nilson, will take part in a Round Table meeting with representatives from nine universities in Canada and eight indigenous universities based in Mexico, with the goal of improving the higher education experience of Aboriginal students and creating opportunities for collaboration.
The one-day meeting, to be held at the University of Lethbridge, will happen on June 22, 2013, and VIU’s Chancellor and Chief of the Assembly of First Nations, Chief Shawn A-in-chut Atleo, will be the keynote speaker.
The meeting is building on the momentum of a similar meeting held in Mexico City in March 2012, which Nilson also attended, and will move forward initiatives pertaining to student mobility, research collaboration and community engagement as it relates to Aboriginal higher education.
“There are more Aboriginal students at VIU than at any other university in BC. For many years, we’ve worked closely with our community partners to understand how best to support Aboriginal students. One of the ways we’re doing that is through dialogues such as these,” says Nilson. “These discussions will allow us to develop best practices so that all of the institutions involved – both in Canada and Mexico – can learn from each other and in doing so work towards removing the barriers facing Aboriginal students.”
For the past ten years, the Federal and State governments in Mexico have partnered to create a number of regional universities, called Inter-cultural Universities, to improve post-secondary access for Indigenous peoples. For decades Canadian universities have also worked to increase access for Aboriginal students and to improve outreach to Aboriginal communities.
At the conclusion of the inaugural meeting in Mexico last year, the delegates committed to partnerships that would promote student and faculty mobility, joint research initiatives and cultural exchanges. Agreement was reached at that time to host a second meeting in Canada.
“The University of Lethbridge is excited to host and participate in this important meeting,” says President and Vice-Chancellor, Dr. Mike Mahon. “The university has long recognized the important role it must play in creating access for aboriginal post-secondary students and this Round Table will certainly help us shape future directions and initiatives.”
Federal, provincial, municipal and Aboriginal representatives have been invited to participate in some of the sessions.
In addition to the one-day Round Table, and to celebrate National Aboriginal Day in Canada on June 21, delegates from both countries will participate in a series of cultural activities to broaden the understanding of Alberta’s Aboriginal communities. This will include visiting the Kainai and Piikani First Nations communities and Head Smashed-In Buffalo Jump – a World Heritage Site.
For more information please visit the [Round Table webpage](http://www.uleth.ca/president/canada-mexico) hosted by the University of Lethbridge.
Tags: In the Community
