Building east-west connections

Building east-west connections

By Wanda Praamsma

May 14, 2015

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Queen's in the World

Building connections. That鈥檚 what a trip to Asia this month for Queen鈥檚 Principal Daniel Woolf and Vice-Principal (Research) Steven Liss is all about.

The pair will be in Japan and Singapore, where they will participate in several events aimed at strengthening ties and fostering new collaborations with partner institutions. The trip will also serve to engage Queen鈥檚 alumni and connect with Canada鈥檚 diplomatic missions in both countries.

鈥淎 key objective of Queen鈥檚 Strategic Framework and Academic Plan is to provide students with exceptional learning opportunities that will help them prepare for living and working in a global society,鈥 says Principal Woolf. 鈥淭his trip will broaden the relationships we have with partner universities in Japan and Singapore, and help us create more opportunities for academic and research collaboration.鈥

[Japan Counsul General]
The Consul-General of Japan, Yasunori Nakayama, was recently at Queen鈥檚 and met with Steven Liss, Vice-Principal (Research) and Kathy O鈥橞rien, Associate Vice-Principal (International). They discussed academic and reserach activities relating to Japan, and Consul-General Nakayama gave a presentation entitled 鈥楯apan's Security Policies鈥 at the university's Centre for International and Defence Policy. (Supplied photo)

In Singapore, Principal Woolf and Vice-Principal Liss will visit the National University, as well as Nanyang Technological University, where Vice-Principal Liss will give a presentation about his research into wastewater treatment processes. In Japan, visits to Waseda University and Keio University in Tokyo are planned, before travelling to Nagoya University for the inauguration ceremony of the Institute of Transformative Bio-Molecules (ITbM), a research facility where Queen鈥檚 Professor Cathleen Crudden (Chemistry) holds an appointment as a research professor.

鈥淨ueen鈥檚 students and faculty benefit greatly from having research opportunities abroad and in turn, their accomplishments and discoveries stand to benefit the wider world,鈥 says Vice-Principal Liss. 鈥淭hese international alliances are important for Queen鈥檚 as it continues to develop its global research prominence.鈥

While in Tokyo, Principal Woolf and Vice-Principal Liss will attend a presentation by two Queen鈥檚 professors, Audrey Kobayashi (Geography) and Jeff Masuda (Kinesiology and Health Studies), at the Japan Studies Association of Canada conference. They will also participate in interviews at the Embassy of Canada for the , and attend alumni receptions in both countries.