Kenjgewin Teg and Laurentian University have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) outlining their intention to partner on Indigenous educational initiatives, including academic programming, research, and community development.
In a news release, the postsecondary institutes said the MOU strengthens their existing relationship and provides a foundation for collaboration, including the “co-development of courses and academic programs, research and innovation, and creating and mounting events to grow and share knowledge, such as seminars, conferences, and workshops.”
“Our institutions share a common vision of empowering learners and advancing meaningful research that benefits communities,” Dr. Lynn Wells, president and vice-chancellor of Laurentian University, said in the release.
“This agreement reinforces our shared commitment to supporting Indigenous education, building capacity, and working together in a spirit of reciprocity and reconciliation.”
Laurentian University is based in Sudbury and said it has a priority to build up the communities it serves, particularly in Northern, Francophone, and Indigenous contexts.
Kenjgewin Teg is based in M’Chigeeng First Nation on Manitoulin Island and offers certificate, diploma and degree programs accredited by the Indigenous Advanced Education and Skills Council (IAESC).
“As two Northern Ontario postsecondary institutions responding to and serving our communities, our shared commitment to a renewed collaboration seeks to provide new opportunities implementing meaningful Truth and Reconciliation action,” Beverley Roy, president of Kenjgewin Teg, said in the release.
“And, in building this shared vision, we will be inclusively thinking about the principles of allyship, and the rightful inclusion of Anishinabek-led and governed worldviews in postsecondary places of learning.”
