"What caught my attention was the fact that I will be able to complete the program in one academic year and be qualified to teach in Canada and the United States. With my international education, I will have an edge over other teachers." Jolene MacNeil, Saint Mary's University - University of Maine at Presque Isle (UMPI) education student

International Projects Saint Mary’s University’s commitment to the promotion of international cooperation in research and scholarship has led to capacity building projects in Africa, Asia, Central and Eastern Europe and South and Central America. - Saint Mary’s is the lead partner in a group of seven educational institutions including the University of New Brunswick; the Nova Scotia Agricultural College; Dalhousie University; Xiamen University, China; Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, China; and Vietnam National University, Vietnam involved in the Community Based Conservation Management project (CBCM). The CBCM project, initiated in 1998 and ending this year, assisted universities in China and Vietnam in developing interdisciplinary expertise in the sustainable use and conservation of natural resources. This involved the development of community based pilot projects in the Asian regions. CBCM is a Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and University Partnerships in Cooperation and Development (UPCD) funded international development project. - Saint Mary’s University recently completed a five-year project involving capacity building for higher education in The Gambia. Saint Mary’s strengthened and supported the capacity to develop a higher education system that will contribute to the economic development, improve the quality of life for its citizens and strengthen its civil society. The project was supported by the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC) which administered the UPCD program on behalf of the primary funding agency, CIDA.

Cross Border Learning

A new partnership between Saint Mary’s University and the University of Maine at Presque Isle (UMPI) is creating exciting options for students interested in a career in education. Qualified students, including graduates of other universities who enroll in one semester of undergraduate education courses at Saint Mary’s can now complete two semesters of education courses at the University of Maine at Presque Isle. They will have the choice of completing their practice teaching requirements in Maine, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick or Prince Edward Island. When they graduate, students will be certified to teach in Nova Scotia and Maine.

The agreement also gives UMPI physical education students the option to complete their fieldwork at Saint Mary’s Sports Medicine Clinic. The partnership further advances Saint Mary’s commitment to fostering international cooperation and improved accessibility to education. It will also offer a new alternative in teacher training as Nova Scotia deals with an anticipated teacher shortage.

(L-R) Esther Montenegro Colin, Guadalupe Garcia Duran, and Eloina Gonzalez Lara, visiting administrators, Department of Education, Campeche, Mexico

Educational Exchange and Friendship with Campeche, Mexico

Saint Mary’s University’s partnership with the State of Campeche, Mexico has led to international educational exchange. This spring, three administrators from Campeche’s Department of Education, Culture and Sport were granted Saint Mary’s scholarships to enroll in English language training courses and complete internships with the Teaching English as a Second Language Centre, International Activities and External Affairs.

For the past two years, groups of the State of Campeche’s best and brightest high school students were rewarded by their government with a coveted place in Saint Mary’s University’s Campeche University Transition Program, an academic and cultural exchange program.