Faculty of Education University of Agder, Norway (north2north - Travel to Norway funding)Dr. Wayne Melville: “Looking forward to seeing how the partnership will evolve and provide opportunities for our faculty.” “This collaboration, with the support of Lakehead International, demonstrates the commitment Lakehead University has for creating unique learning opportunities for our students, staff and faculty.” Dr. Paul Cormier: “Very excited to explore learning opportunities for our Indigenous students and Indigenous community partners with other countries through the ongoing support of Lakehead International. This is just the start of an amazing partnership where we see collaboration expanding to include other universities from around the world.” “With the ongoing redesign of our Indigenous language and teacher training programs, this opportunity with the support of Lakehead International, provides the possibility of integrating an International Indigenous perspective into our program design and course structure.” Mr. Tyler Armstrong: “In Keewatinase we believe in family, community, and healing. We accomplish this by doing things ‘from the heart’ with care and compassion. I’m excited to see how these values may apply in an international context.” “Working with Indigenous communities is my passion. I can’t help but think of the possibilities we will create for our Indigenous community partners and Elders who assist us with traditional Indigenous teaching in our programs. With the ongoing support of Lakehead International, I believe we will create opportunities for those teachers to also benefit from an international collaboration.” Dr. Mike Dohan Metropolia University of Applied Sciences, Finland (Erasmus+ funding)The experience working with Pia, Suvi and Maria at Metropolia for IPW 2024 was extremely positive. They were very friendly, gracious hosts. The event was very organized and exciting for students and international faculty alike. The students at first were confused with my approach but one by one they got on board and understood what I was trying to accomplish. I see this as evidence that I challenged them, and the rose to the challenge as great students do. Both the students and the organizers made me feel like I would be welcomed back one day and I intend to return. Thank you all for this opportunity! Dr. Kathy Sanderson University of Helsinki, Finland (Northern Canada north2north funding)Traveling to Finland to engage in face-to-face meetings with both current and prospective collaborators was a valuable experience. We conducted an engaging presentation and held discussions with students on the topic of precarious work. It was particularly enlightening to observe the similarities and differences between countries in this context and to hear the perspective of Master and PhD students. My gratitude to North2North for facilitating this opportunity. Dr. Evgeny Chugunov - October 2023University of Agder, Norway (N2N to Norway funding)I had the privilege of visiting the University of Agder in Norway as an invited professor. The warm reception by the faculty members set the tone for an enriching experience. Over the course of four days, I engaged in a series of activities, including teaching, performing, and conducting a Piano Pedagogy Workshop for the piano students, as outlined in the attached schedule. I sincerely thank Dr. Cordula Hacke and Dr. Anne Camilla Thommesen for meticulously organizing my visit. Their efforts not only ensured a seamless experience but also facilitated meaningful connections with students and provided opportunities for wonderful conversations throughout my stay. The highlight of my visit was the interaction with the students, where I had the pleasure of teaching nearly all their piano students. Conducting individual masterclasses allowed me to share my vision of piano technique, and the students' keen interest in my suggestions made the Piano Pedagogy Workshop on the final day exceptionally productive and interactive. On October 31, I was honored to perform a solo piano recital for the university community. The program featured a composition by Dr. Aris Carastathis, a composer and colleague from Lakehead University's Department of Music. The event was well-received and contributed to the cultural exchange during my stay. Furthermore, during my visit, I had the pleasure of meeting Linn Eriksen from the UiA's International Office. Our conversation was both delightful and informative, enhancing my understanding of the university's global initiatives. In conclusion, my visit to the University of Agder was a thoroughly enjoyable and professionally rewarding experience. The students' enthusiastic response and the faculty's support made it a memorable experience. Dr. Azim Mallik UiT The Arctic University of Norway (N2N to Norway funding)My recent visit to Tromso was a truly enriching experience. During my stay, I had the privilege of meeting dedicated professionals at UiT's Department of Biology and presenting exciting opportunities for student exchange and research collaboration at Lakehead University. I was impressed by the keen interest shown by UiT colleagues in fostering undergraduate student exchange. The potential for research collaboration, especially in the field of ecology, was evident, and discussions with experts like Dr. Braathen and Dr. Jaakola were particularly inspiring. My presentation to undergraduate students about biology opportunities at Lakehead University was very well received by the enthusiastic students. Attending a captivating presentation at the Natural History Museum of Tromso on arctic and alpine plant gardening with Dr. Cooper added another layer to my visit. It was the most informative and entertaining presentation with spectacular examples of gardening of flowering plants covering the global northern latitudes. The visit wasn't just about work; I experienced the local culture, enjoyed the diverse weather, and was treated to a delightful dinner with reindeer meat, courtesy of Dr. Cooper. In summary, my time in Tromso was academically productive and culturally enriching. I look forward to future collaborations with the passionate researchers at UiT. (2023 Spring) Dr. Wing Him YeungRennes School of Business, FranceI was very glad that I was given the opportunity to represent Lakehead University and attend the International Staff Week hosted by Rennes School of Business, the partner institution of our first-ever international dual degree at Lakehead University. As a professor, while I had participated in International Guest Professor programs in Finland and Germany before, this was the first time I attended an event focusing on sharing experience related to international mobility, in which I found very value-adding and interesting. I was able to visit the campus of Rennes School of Business, the city of Rennes, as well as the nearby attractions (Saint-Malo and Mont-Saint-Michel). This allows me to provide better information to our prospective international dual degree students, especially when it comes to promoting events and information sessions about the international dual degree. Through the International Staff Week, I also learned many new things about international mobility, best practices for managing culture shocks, and how to better prepare outbound students for exchanges and welcome inbound students. This definitely helps me, especially with the expected increase in international student and exchange student enrolment given all the new and ongoing efforts in building transfer credit agreements, international pathways, and international dual degrees. Dr. Wing Him Yeung Pforzheim University, Germany (Guest Lecture Program)The visit was amazing and an extremely valuable experience for me. I was very glad that the visit was possible after about two years of COVID-19 travel restrictions. I was able to visit the campus in-person and meet some of Hochschule Pforzheim’s faculty members and students, as well as a couple of other international guest professors. While I was there, I also initiated a discussion about a potential international dual degree between Hochschule Pforzheim and Lakehead University, and I am hoping that the discussion will continue and eventually lead to additional forms of collaborations between the two institutions. Through the visit, the meetings, and the teaching, I was able to learn a lot about the German education system and German culture, as well as to visit the city of Pforzheim and a few other nearby cities. I also visited the Black Forest region of Germany, which was truly beautiful. Moreover, I enjoyed visiting their historical buildings and their old towns. I would definitely visit Hochschule Pforzheim again if I were given another opportunity to do so in the future. |