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Canada and the United States share the world’s longest border and the world’s largest bilateral trade agreement. It’s no wonder the ��ݮ����Ƶ���� has forged many education and research partnerships with partners south of the border.

As part of the university’s International Strategy, a United States Regional Advisory Council has been formed to explore and tackle the best growth opportunities for the university in this geographic region of emphasis.

This is the last of six regional councils to be formed since the strategy was introduced a year ago. Chaired by Ed McCauley, the new council recently convened for its first working session to discuss objectives and scope, regional opportunities, partnerships, and strategic growth areas.

“Under the university’s  vision, we are combining research and teaching excellence in a new bold way,” says McCauley. “We have a strategy, we’re investing in our priorities, and we’re delivering outcomes.”

The regional council participants identified energy, engineering, medicine, geoscience and public policy as key areas of focus. “We need to connect all the individual relationships, but also move forward as a group with a strategic plan to further develop our collaborations in target areas,” says McCauley. “To effectively engage communities and industries across the United States, we have to promote our strengths to different jurisdictions in ways that are relevant for specific communities and local industries.”

Longstanding collaboration continues to flourish

The ��ݮ����Ƶ����’s strong ties with the U.S. are evident in many institutional agreements, hundreds of research collaborations, 198 faculty members originating from the United States, and thousands of  current students and alumni living there. In addition, the university’s recently announced has committed to key alumni concentrations in New York, Houston and the Bay Area, and work is already underway to get these alumni communities up and running.

“The university is already engaged in a wide range of international activities, producing graduates with global knowledge, forging strategic alliances, and promoting diversity and innovation in teaching and research,” adds , vice-provost (international). “The United States and Canada bring together international research groups to tackle problems important to societies across the world. Strengthening our collaboration helps our efforts to position ourselves as a global intellectual hub.”

Under the international strategy, the university has committed to increase the diversity of students on campus, strengthen cross-cultural competencies, advance educational and research partnerships, and boost international development efforts.

The university has established six countries/regions of emphasis, all of which now have associated councils: China, Germany, Mexico, the Middle East, Tanzania and the U.S.

Members of the United States Regional Advisory Council

• Edward McCauley, council chair and vice-president (research)
• Janaka Ruwanpura, vice-provost (international)
• Michal Moore, representative of the vice-president (research)

• David Knudsen, professor, Faculty of Science
• Ian Gates, professor, Schulich School of Engineering
• Ian Holloway, dean and professor, Faculty of Law
• Ina Dobrinski, professor, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine
• Marv Fritzler, professor, Faculty of Medicine
• Ryan Lee, professor, Haskayne School of Business
• Bill Trefanenko, director, international relations, Enbridge
• Russ Kalmacoff, president and CEO, Rockmount Financial Corporation
• David McGinnis, senior vice-president, Hines Midwest regional office
• Curtis Probst, retired managing director, Goldman, Sachs & Co.
• Adrianne Offenbecker, Faculty of Arts, graduate student
• Trevor Gair, Faculty of Law, undergraduate student
• Jen Avaz, international representative