This week, Ken Steele “takes off” to Saskatoon to speak with Larry Rosia, the president and CEO of Saskatchewan Polytechnic, about his institution’s four pillars of internationalization. They sit down in SP’s pilot training flight simulator for a conversation.
Internationalization has been a top priority for many institutions in Canada. Reports from the World Economic Forum and the Conference Board of Canada emphasize the importance of cultural competency as a workforce skill for the future, and it’s especially important in a globally exporting province like Saskatchewan. In order to internationalize the whole institution, SP has a four-pillar strategy:
1) Faculty & Student Exchanges, sending representatives abroad to study, teach and engage in applied research and project work. Not everyone wants to travel abroad, and the institution can’t afford to send everyone abroad, though.
2) Incoming International Students, recruiting students from priority countries to diversify classrooms in Canada. “Having a different lens, a different perspective, a different culture lend their ideas to a problem is really interesting,” and helps to spark innovative thinking on campus. “The solutions to today’s problems and tomorrow’s problems are interdisciplinary and intercultural.”
3) International Applied Research Projects engage SP with partners abroad, and students from various locations can collaborate and innovate via technology on a shared project.
4) International Project Work, such as providing pilot training to meet a country’s needs.
Ultimately, internationalization is critical because Canada needs immigration to sustain its population, and our students need to learn how to work with diverse cultures. They will graduate and work with companies that do business internationally, and if they have global competencies they will be more attractive to future employers. Larry emphasizes that “Saskatchewan runs on Saskatchewan Polytechnic,” and that cultural diversity is one of its differentiators and strengths.
Dr Larry Rosia (@LarryRosia on Twitter) has a background in telecommunications engineering, and holds a PhD in academic leadership from the University of Calgary. For more than 35 years, he has worked in higher education as an instructor, program chair, marketing manager, and senior administrator. Larry served as Dean of the School of Construction at SAIT from 1999-2012, and has been President and CEO of Saskatchewan Polytechnic (formerly SIAST) since 2012. He authored a 2009 book, “The Successful College President: Strategies for Leading in a Complex Environment.” Larry also sits on the boards of many organizations including Polytechnics Canada, Skills Canada Saskatchewan, the Chair Academy International Leadership Board, the International Mineral Innovation Institute, and the Saskatchewan Post Secondary International Education Council.
Next week, Ken’s conversation with Larry Rosia continues. So you don’t miss it, be sure to subscribe! http://eduvation.ca/subscribe/
Special thanks to Saskatchewan Polytechnic for arranging the onsite videography. If you would like to host an onsite episode of Ten with Ken, please see http://eduvation.ca/twk/site-visits/for more information.