Bogotá, Colombia, Thursday, December 4, 2014
Check Against Delivery
This is my first visit to Colombia, and I am privileged to be joined by a talented delegation of Canadians, many of whom are leaders in the field of higher education in Canada.
Prior to becoming governor general, I spent much of my life in education, as a student, teacher and university administrator, and I can attest to the quality of the learning experience in Canada.
In Canada, we strive to achieve both equality of opportunity and excellence in education. We see these two objectives as mutually reinforcing, not mutually competing. We value research, innovation, and science and technology, as well as the humanities and social sciences.
This is so important because, in our increasingly complex and globalized world, the well-being of nations and peoples is being defined by how well we develop, advance and share knowledge across disciplines and borders. I call this the diplomacy of knowledge, and I truly believe that learning together is vital to our shared well-being.
By mixing expertise, creativity, collaboration and communication; by linking learning and innovation with knowledge at all levels; and by understanding that learning together is, in the end, key to living together in today’s world, our communities and our countries will be enlightened, our economies and societies will be renewed, and we will improve the lives of Colombians and Canadians alike.
I look forward to hearing your thoughts on education and knowledge diplomacy.
Thank you all for being here, and for working together to improve the quality and extent of learning between Canada and Colombia.
