APRU Chief Executive, Prof. Thomas Schneider, and APRU Chief Strategy Officer, Christina Schönleber, visited the University of Alberta (U of A) for a dynamic new member on-boarding workshop on December 9, 2024. Despite the snowy embrace of winter, the enthusiasm of the University of Alberta to contribute to the association and collaborate with other APRU members was palpable. Facilitated by the participation of U of A’s President and Vice-Chancellor, Professor Bill Flanagan, in APRU’s Annual President’s Meeting in June 2024, the meetings underscored exciting programs and opportunities for collaboration in areas such as Global Health, Multi-Hazards, Biodiversity, Indigenous Knowledges, AI in Higher Education, and Sustainability.
The priorities for the meetings were to discuss how U of A can make the most out of its APRU membership and explore ways that the Association can continue work with the U of A in an impactful way. High on the agenda was U of A’s interest in working with APRU members on the topic of energy transition.
“APRU wants to provide value to its members’ students and energy transition fits well into this,” said APRU Chief Executive Prof. Schneider.
Dr. David Bressler, Special Advisor to the U of A President, shared his view that transportation, both marine shipping and inter-city, is one key topic for the region that could present a unifying opportunity for future projects. Prof. Schneider weighted in that since many APRU members are located on ports, the network could potentially get many port authorities engaged. APRU Chief Strategy Officer Christina Schönleber noted that Kyushu University’s hydrogen-focused energy initiative also attracted lots of interest across the network.
Dr. Aminah Robinson-Fayek, U of A’s Vice-President (Research & Innovation), expressed interest in APRU’s Asia Pacific Women in Leadership (APWiL) mentoring program. Dr. Robinson-Fayek shared that she has personally benefited from mentorship and would like to pass this valuable experience on to others.
A particularly promising project for APRU network cooperation with U of A’s Continuing Education department is the launch of a new microcredential for entrepreneurship, which could potentially involve having students go abroad. APRU looks forward to continuing to explore opportunities to work together and enhance the global connectivity between universities and partners.
