International employment program wins national award

by Patty Pitts

Each year, hundreds of UVic students gain a global perspective and valuable work experience as part of the university's co-operative education international program. Last month, Scotiabank Group and the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC) recognized UVic's leadership in providing students with international experiential opportunities by presenting the program with an Award for Excellence in Internationalization.

The award recognizes innovative programs that help students prepare for a more global world. Other recipients of this year's award are Université Laval, Glendon College and McMaster University. The awards were presented in Ottawa at the Canadian Museum of Civilization on Oct. 27.

"As a Canadian leader in experiential learning, UVic strives to give as many students as possible the opportunity to participate in an international co-op placement," says UVic president Dr. David Turpin. "In an international placement, they experience other cultures, gain new language skills and acquire an international perspective. I'm very pleased that the outstanding accomplishments by our co-op program are being recognized through this prestigious award."

With the largest co-operative education program in Western Canada, UVic offers nearly 3,000 students the opportunity to combine study with relevant, paid work terms each year. More than 40 departments in every faculty participate in UVic co-op and almost 14 per cent of all student placements are in international settings, representing 40 countries and 244 employers. Past co-op international work experiences included combating environmental destruction in Uganda, star-gazing from an observatory in Chile and observing law being created in South Africa.

"Experiential learning at UVic has evolved to meet the changing needs of society," says UVic co-op executive director Dr. Elizabeth Grove-White. "We're now educating students to participate in a complex world where cross-cultural awareness and a global perspective benefit themselves and society. I'm grateful to Scotiabank and AUCC for recognizing the work our program and its employers do to support this vision."

AUCC represents 92 Canadian public and private not-for-profit universities and university-degree level colleges. Scotiabank is recognized as a leader among Canadian corporations for its charitable donations and philanthropic activities.