Global Exchange Insider: A Seoul summer at Yonsei University, South Korea
Are you a UBC undergrad thinking about going on a student exchange? It can...
When it comes to impactful collaboration worldwide, it’s all about relationships, says Cheryl Dumaresq, Executive Director and head of UBC’s Office of Global Engagement. And right now, a big focus for the university is Southeast Asia.
In fact, UBC is amplifying its proactive engagement with the region and its universities, government, educational organizations and businesses, Dumaresq says.
Case in point: The Office of Global Engagement hosted a campus tour and networking mixer for institutional delegates from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on the Vancouver campus with the Institute of Asian Research, a founding partner of the UBC School of Public Policy and Global Affairs, on Nov. 30 at the C.K. Choi Building. The delegates were in Vancouver for the annual Canadian Bureau for International Education conference.
Says John Roosa, Director of the Centre for Southeast Asia Research (CSEAR) under the Institute of Asian Research: “We are pleased to see the renewed interest Canada has in Southeast Asia, and we hope the visit will lead to an expansion of our existing connections. Students and researchers at Canadian and Southeast Asian universities have much to offer each other.”
We spoke with Dumaresq about UBC’s focus on the region.
Cheryl Dumaresq (second from left) with ASEAN delegates (photo: Mahnoor Lone/UBC)
The UBC community gathered with ASEAN delegates for a lively evening of food and conversation at the C.K. Choi Lobby (photo: UBC)
Why now? The federal government launched Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy a year ago. This has created new opportunities for Canadian higher education institutions to collaborate in the region. As Canada’s educational gateway to the Asia Pacific, UBC plays a key role in building stronger academic ties with Southeast Asian institutions, which has led to closer economic, social and personal connections. UBC also hosts the Centre for Southeast Asian Research at its Institute of Asian Research—the only academic institution in Canada exclusively dedicated to the research and study of Southeast Asia.
Current focus: UBC has clearly identified ASEAN as a key priority region for international engagement. We’re committed to fostering sustainable and mutually beneficial partnerships with ASEAN institutions, and our office will work to support more scholarly and student exchanges, and stronger research partnerships.
Which countries make up the ASEAN? Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam
Who attended the UBC mixer? UBC made positive new connections with the universities represented at the event: about 50 delegates from Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos PDR, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam. Also attending were Canada’s trade commissioners to Brunei, Cambodia and the Philippines; 20 UBC representatives from the Office of Global Engagement, Faculty of Education, Forestry, Land and Food Systems, Medicine, Institute of Ocean and Fisheries, School of Public Policy and Global Affairs, School of Music and UBC Okanagan.
The ASEAN delegation enjoy a rainy walking tour of the Vancouver campus (photo: Mahnoor Lone/UBC)
ASEAN delegates learn about the Indigenous history of UBC at the X̱wi7x̱wa Library (photo: Mahnoor Lone/UBC)
Other recent ASEAN engagement:
What’s next? Expanding UBC’s academic partnership networks in ASEAN, building mutual understanding and growing the people-to-people ties between Canada and ASEAN countries.
Closing thought: Says Kai Ostwald, Institute of Asian Research Director: “This is an exciting time for the relationship between Canada and Southeast Asia, since Canada’s new Indo-Pacific Strategy recognizes the importance of Southeast Asia and calls for stronger ties with the region. Closer collaboration between universities would have a meaningful impact in short term and bolster people-to-people ties in the longer term. That makes it really heartening to see representatives from leading Southeast Asian universities visiting UBC’s Institute of Asian Research.”
Entering the zen landscape of the Nitobe Memorial Garden at the UBC Vancouver capmus (photo: Mahnoor Lone/UBC)
Taking in the lush views of Nitobe Memorial Garden (photo: Mahnoor Lone/UBC)
Learning about the architecture of the Asian Centre at UBC (photo: Mahnoor Lone/UBC)
Read more about the UBC Office of Global Engagement.
Find out more about the Centre for Southeast Asia Research.