The University of Calgary President and Vice-Chancellor Elizabeth Cannon and Aga Khan University President Firoz Rasul have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to facilitate international cooperation toward advancements in human development, global health, social justice and pluralism.
“The world has never been more diverse or interconnected, and the right response to such a world is to reach out across borders to learn from one another, to generate new knowledge together, and to collaborate in
tackling crucial challenges and ultimately improving the quality of life of those in need,“ said President Rasul while addressing the MoU signing ceremony.
“This agreement builds on a long-standing, mutually beneficial partnership and lays the path forward to continued leadership and impact for many years to come,” said Dr Cannon. “Both our universities are committed to education and research that benefits the world and we want to serve our communities as leaders, innovators and key contributors.”
The partnership promotes knowledge sharing, education and research collaborations, student internships and faculty exchanges in diverse areas. Past and present collaborations have included initiatives and programs with the faculties of nursing, arts, graduate studies, Cumming School of Medicine and Werklund School of Education.
Through the Queen Elizabeth Scholarship (QES) programmes, for example, the Faculty of Nursing has worked closely with the Aga Khan University to provide an academic and research experience to University of Calgary students and scholars throughout Aga Khan University campuses and related communities in Kenya, Uganda and Pakistan.
“My QES internship in Uganda helped me realize the importance of working with the clients you assist to create goals which are sustainable and build capacity. It made me realize the privileges we have in Canada, and the importance of creating equity to create a better world for all,” said Nilufer Hassanova, QES scholar and graduate of the Faculty of Nursing.
Working together with peers and colleagues on human development related issues, University of Calgary and Aga Khan University students learn to become international development leaders and contribute towards solutions for global development.
Faculty members have an opportunity to engage in collaborative research projects to identify solutions to health and education challenges in South and Central Asia and Africa.