(2005-23) News Release April 29, 2005 Saskatoon - The Honourable Aileen Carroll, Minister of International Cooperation, today announced a $10.8 million contribution over six years to support 11 international development projects by Canadian universities and their partner institutions in developing countries. These projects, funded by the University Partnerships in Cooperation and Development Program of the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), draw upon Canadian university expertise to help build the capacity of developing-country education and training institutions in addressing the sustainable development priorities of their countries. Minister Carroll made this announcement, along with Peter McKinnon, President of the University of Saskatchewan who is also the current Chair of the Board of Directors of the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC), a national organization representing Canadian Universities. "Canadian universities play an important role in promoting sustainable development and reducing poverty around the world," Minister Carroll said. "With support from CIDA, these new initiatives will assist people in the developing countries to enhance their skills and help us all in moving towards our target of achieving the Millennium Development Goals." The 11 projects were submitted by Memorial University of Newfoundland, Dalhousie University, École Polytechnique de Montréal, Laurentian University, Ryerson University, the University of Western Ontario, the University of Victoria and two each from the University of Guelph and the University of Calgary. Each project was selected based on the needs of the targeted developing country or countries, and its coherence with Canadian international development priorities. They will be implemented in Africa and in the Americas, with each of the Canadian institutions working in close collaboration with their local partners. The University Partnerships in Cooperation and Development Program holds regular competitions open to publicly-funded universities across Canada, and the selection process is overseen by an independent committee of peers. The selection process is co-ordinated by AUCC. The projects being announced today will be administered on CIDA's behalf by the AUCC. Funding for this initiative was provided for in the February 2005 federal budget and is therefore built into the existing fiscal framework. -30- Information Andrew Graham Director of Communications Office of the Minister of International Cooperation Telephone: (819) 953-6238 Media Relations Office Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) Telephone: (819)953-6534 E-mail: info@acdi-cida.gc.ca Web site: www.cida.gc.ca (electronic version of document) Margaux Béland Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada Telephone: (613) 563-3961 ext. 296 E-mail: mbeland@aucc.ca PROJECT DESCRIPTION University of Victoria (Victoria, British Columbia) Participatory Sustainable Waste Management, Brazil: to build the capacity of four partner municipalities to train recycling collectors and cooperatives. In the long term, the project aims to have an impact on the overall urban environmental quality of the Sao Paulo area through tackling consumption issues, waste recovery and mitigating environmental degradation. It also aims to increase the capacity of the Centro Universitario Fundaçao Santo André to provide training at an advanced level on technical aspects of the collection of recyclables. CIDA's contribution is $1 million. (Dr. Jutta Gutberlet (250) 472-4537) University of Calgary (Calgary, Alberta) Water Management in Honduras and El Salvador: to increase the capacity of the National Autonomous University of Honduras and of the University of El Salvador in water resource management education, training, research and practice. This will be done in collaboration with communities, municipalities, government agencies, other universities, international organizations and networks. The project includes the creation, at both developing country institutions, of unique Masters programs for water resource sector professionals. CIDA's contribution is $1 million. (David Bethune (403) 220-8029) University of Calgary (Calgary Alberta) Strengthening Child Health in Rural Uganda: to develop an effective, comprehensive, locally relevant community-based child health care education program that will enable the community to intervene efficiently in early childhood. More specifically, the project aims at strengthening the capacity of faculty, students, local health workers, community based resource persons and parents while testing a model of integrated child health programming. CIDA's contribution is $1 million. (Dr. Jenn Brenner (403) 943-2953) Laurentian University (Sudbury, Ontario)Food Security Capacity Building in the Democratic Republic of Congo: to build the capacity of the Faculty of Agronomy at the University of Kinshasa to provide quality higher education, and to act in the field in areas related to sustainable development and food security. The project will help to build the faculty's capacity to provide training to improve plant production and to preserve the environment. CIDA's contribution is $1 million. (Kabwe Nkongolo (705) 675-1151, ext. 2307) The University of Western Ontario (London, Ontario) Rebuilding Health in Rwanda: to help rebuild the programs for health professional training and expand the cadre of health professionals with an emphasis on skills in the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases. The project will help increase the capacity of the Kigali Health Institute to develop and deliver relevant and current educational programming, particularly in areas related to HIV/AIDS and mental health and trauma. CIDA's contribution is $980,000. (Dr. David Cechetto (519) 661-4166) University of Guelph (Guelph, Ontario) Enhancing agribusiness development capacity in Ghana: to enhance the capacity of the University of Ghana and its partner universities, in collaboration with government, agribusiness development organizations and institutions, and entrepreneurs to meet the demands of national agribusiness development. The project will contribute to the establishment and maintenance of a national agribusiness centre at the University of Ghana. CIDA's contribution is $999,674. (Dr. Spencer Henson (519) 824-4120 ext. 53134) University of Guelph (Collège d'Alfred, Alfred, Ontario)Rural Wastewater Reuse, Morocco: to build Morocco's capacity to train specialists, business managers (olive oil, sugar industry), technicians, public servants, engineers, and community representatives, to enable them (in their area of expertise) to apply adapted wastewater treatment technology and effectively to manage wastewater treatment and reuse. CIDA's contribution is $1 million. (Charles Goubau (613) 679-2218, ext. 501) Ryerson University (Toronto, Ontario) Child Protection and Interfamilial Safety, Dominican Republic: to build the capacity within the Faculty of Social Sciences of the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo, the Ministry of Women's Affairs, and the National Council for the Protection of Children to design, implement and evaluate effective and sustainable programs and services for children and women at risk. CIDA's contribution is $900,000. (Dr. Henry Parada (416) 979-5000 ext. 6223) École Polytechnique de Montréal (Montreal, Quebec) Applied Solar Energy Technology, Burkina Faso: to build the capacity of the Institut de recherche en sciences appliquées et technologies [applied science and technology research institute], in cooperation with the University of Ouagadougou, to train the human resources needed to develop mechanisms to ensure sound management of solar energy systems designed to supply power to some of Burkina Faso's poorest rural communities. CIDA's contribution is $967,400. (Oumarou Savadogo (514) 340-4711, ext. 4725) Dalhousie University (Halifax, Nova Scotia) Sustainability of Uruguay's Coastal Zone: to improve the capacity of Uruguayans to more effectively manage the coastal environments upon which their livelihoods and well-being depend. This will be achieved through the enhancement of tertiary educational and outreach capacity and the strong collaboration among university, government and community. The project aims at the establishment of an effective, integrated and interdisciplinary masters program at Uruguay's University of the Republic. CIDA's contribution is $1,000,000. (Dr. Robert Fournier (902) 494-3666) Memorial University of Newfoundland (St. John's, Newfoundland) Sustainable Fisheries for Food Security, Malawi: seeks to ensure environmental sustainability and its consequent positive impact on the population of Malawi's coastal communities through reduced post-harvest losses and sustainable fishing practices. The project will expand the mandate and capacity of the Malawi College of Fisheries to deliver training in post harvest processing and awareness raising in sustainable management of aquatic resources to mid-level fisheries officers and community representatives. CIDA's contribution is $992,135. (Mr. Bill Chislett (709) 778-0558)
