Published by Communications and Public Affairs 519 824-4120, Ext. 56982 or 53338

News Release

April 25, 2007

Summerlee Leads Mission to Africa

A distinguished group of Canadian post-secondary leaders — including University of Guelph president Alastair Summerlee — is heading off to Africa today to build a figurative bridge to Botswana.

They are part of a special university and college mission organized by World University Service of Canada (WUSC). The mission, taking place from April 28 to May 8, is being hosted by the Botswana Tertiary Education Council.

In addition to Summerlee, who is WUSC’s chair, the mission includes executive director Paul Davidson and representatives from the University of Manitoba, Trent University, the Humber College Institute of Technology and Advance Learning, the University of New Brunswick and Wilfrid Laurier University.

Together, they will travel to Botswana to deepen and broaden WUSC contacts, activities and programs.

“This initiative represents an important opportunity for Canadian universities,” said Summerlee. “Partnerships will evolve out of fields of common interests with our counterparts, opening both doors and minds. But more important, this mission has the potential to have a profound influence on the people of Botswana, which echoes WUSC’s notion that we are one world and must work together to make a difference.”

Partnerships may include opportunities in student mobility, internships and exchanges; faculty exchange and research opportunities; joint education programming with WUSC; and joint research opportunities.

The mission is timely because Botswana is currently seeking partnership and joint opportunities in education abroad, said Davidson. The University of Botswana has more than 100 international partnership agreements and is looking to increase collaboration with Canada. Botswana is also seeking partners to develop a second university of science and technology.

The mission builds on WUSC’s 26 years of programming experience in Botswana. More than 800 Botswanan students have studied in Canada through WUSC’s scholarship program, and more than 95 per cent of them complete their studies and return home. “While in Canada, these students enrich the learning experience for Canadian students.”

WUSC also operates a Students Without Borders program in Botswana, as well as its volunteer program, Uniterra.

A leading Canadian international development agency for six decades, WUSC teams with students, faculty and institutions to internationalize Canada’s universities, increase knowledge of global issues and foster human development through education and training.