President Alan Shaver welcomed the 2012 International Days by explaining the benefits of cultural diversity to TRU and acknowledging that he himself was an international student! The President completed his Ph.D. at MIT.
Good evening everyone. It is my pleasure to welcome you all to International Days, an annual celebration by Thompson Rivers University which is located on traditional lands of the Secwepemc peoples.
Thompson Rivers University embraces internationalization in every aspect of campus life because having a diverse university community helps us learn how to approach the world’s complex problems. It is also more fun to have lots of international students!
Our international students on campus number close to 1900 this year and they come from over 80 countries. They join our domestic students to bring their intelligence and their cultures to bear on understanding the globe’s toughest problems.
And more and more of Canada’s domestic students are studying in other countries. They bring back their experiences from Study Abroad terms, field schools, conferences, and competitions which helps make them better able to thrive on the global stage.
Whether it unites bright minds to save the planet, or prepares our graduates to thrive on the global scene, international diversity builds a ‘brain chain’ which is uniting all countries. For example it is estimated that between 15 and 17% of the Central Committee of China are “sea turtles” ie Chinese who have lived abroad and returned and many of those were international students. The Prime Minister of India was an international student. The President of Thompson Rivers University was an international student!
Cultural Diversity enriches the lives of our students, our teaching, our research, and our community and nowhere is this more evident than during International Days. This week’s program addresses the challenges we face around the globe and illustrates the power of multidisciplinary and multicultural approaches to finding solutions. It also means good food, colorful costumes and spectacular performances.
So I invite you to get your passport out and join our global village during TRU International Days; learn, share, and celebrate with the people of the world.
