The foreign country of Canada is a mere 400 miles to the north of Brookings. Canada is an untapped educational resource. We could learn so much from Canada. Some of the lessons we could learn from Canada would be helpful in the ways we conduct our lives in America.

Thus, it would be highly beneficial for both SDSU students and staff to participate in an exchange program between University of Winnipeg and SDSU. One of the long-term projects of the SDSU Global Studies Program is to develop a bona fide exchange program involving many students and staff from across the academic departments and colleges of SDSU.

To further that end, Dr. Kim Sibanda from the UW History Department and Global College visited SDSU on Nov. 29 and 30 to present discussions in various classes and to interact with students, faculty members and administrators. Dr. Sibanda is originally from Zimbabwe in South Africa; he has earned two Ph.D. degrees at the University of Colorado and University of Denver (International Relations).

While on campus, Dr. Sibanda presented remarks on the Canadian health care system, values of Canadian people as distinct from those of Americans, human rights, issues of social justice and land reform in Africa, the literature of Africa and a formal Thursday evening address entitled “Globalization, Labor and Social Justice.”

Many students, staff and greater Brookings community members were beneficiaries of Dr. Sibanda’s visit. Immediate collaborative projects between UW and SDSU include planning for a scaled-up exchange between our two institutions and collaboration on a significant Federal grant (CONAHEC) which promotes student communication and development between the three countries of North America. Dr. Lloyd Axworthy, former Foreign Minister of Canada (1995-2000) and now President of the University of Winnipeg, has a number of compelling ideas to provide a foundation for the three-country grant. We will also explore the possibility of distance education delivery of courses such as GLST/PHIL 480-Ethics of Globalization that would involve real-time communications between Canadian and SDSU students allowing us to explore how value differences between our two countries influence economic and development issues, foreign policy issues, and globalization policies.

If you as a student or faculty member have an interest in participating in this UW/SDSU exchange, please contact Nels H. Granholm (688-4554 and [email protected]).

Nels H. GranholmHead of Global Studies Program