The University of Prince Edward Island has won a major international contract to provide English language training to student teachers from the Hong Kong Institute of Education (HKIE). UPEI was one of just two successful bidders selected from high-profile universities in Britain, Europe, Australia and Canada to deliver these highly specific and demanding programs.

"UPEI is very proud to be awarded this important contract. It means we have gained international recognition for our expertise as teachers of English as a second language," says Vianne Timmons, Vice-President of Academic Development. "The application process was extremely rigorous and competitive. It says a great deal about the quality of our programming to have edged out larger universities such as McGill."

The Hong Kong Institute of Education is a 7,000-student institution specializing in teacher training. It has a strict mandate from the Chinese government to increase the number of highly-skilled Chinese English teachers. As the first stage in what is expected to become a long-term agreement, UPEI has been awarded a contract to provide an intensive 10-week summer English program for 21 students. During the first five weeks, the student teachers will take two custom-designed, 36-hour courses and will participate in a 30-hour in-school placement to observe teaching methods. In the second five weeks, they will take part in the UPEI Summer Language Program alongside 175 Francophone and international students.

Before entering the UPEI summer program, the pre-service teachers from Hong Kong will have completed two years of a four-year honours Bachelor of Education majoring in primary teaching and will have taken at least one-third of their courses in English. When they arrive in PEI they will be proficient enough in English to interact comfortably. An integral objective of the UPEI program is to broaden and deepen the students' awareness and understanding of the culture in which they are studying, so students will live with local families and take part in related field trips, cultural, and social activities.

The Hong Kong students will arrive on June 4 and the university is currently organizing the homestay component of the program. Anyone interested in hosting a student is invited to contact Reiko Dolan, UPEI Homestay Coordinator, at 566-3322.

For Dr. James Lovering of Charlottetown, education has always played an essential role in his life, both his own learning, and the learning of others. The retired agricultural economist demonstrates this commitment to education in a variety of valuable ways at the University of Prince Edward Island. His most recent contribution involves an intensive tutoring program with two Chinese students who are taking the English Academic Preparation program (EAP) at the Webster Teaching and Learning Centre.

EAP is becoming increasingly popular as the number of international students attending UPEI continues to grow. The program teaches students whose first language is not English how to get the most from lectures. It develops their academic writing, research, and critical thinking skills. Dr. Lovering volunteers for up to two hours most days as an English language coach to first-year business students Jei Li, from the province of Yunnan, and Yang Zhang, from Liao Ning province. Both have a good grasp of the language already. It is Dr. Lovering's job to help them increase their confidence level and improve their pronunciation.

"I enjoy working with students this way. It is satisfying on a personal level, but I also do it because I believe that it's hard to beat education as an investment, whether it's for individuals, for nations, or internationally," he explains.

Over the last few years Dr. Lovering and his wife, Frances have established an endowment fund to support two major graduate scholarships for UPEI students. They created the valuable awards in memory of their daughter, Janet Lovering. The Janet Lovering Scholarship for Graduate Studies in Nursing is a $3000 annual award to support nurses who wish to pursue graduate studies in nursing, health education, or health administration. The Janet Lovering Graduate Scholarship in Science will be a $2000 award for a full-time student entering the first year of the Master of Science program in Biology or Chemistry at UPEI. The award-winner will be selected based on high academic accomplishment and involvement in research. The Loverings have made additional gifts as well, to fund subscriptions to nursing journals for the Robertson Library, and most recently, to purchase laboratory equipment for the Department of Physics.

"We are very grateful to Dr. and Mrs. Lovering for their gifts to the Building a Legacy campaign, and for Dr. Lovering's tutoring work," says Kevin Lewis, Chief Development Officer at UPEI. "There is a Chinese proverb that says, 'If you are planning for a year, sow rice; if you are planning for a decade, plant trees; if you are planning for a lifetime, educate people.' Dr.Lovering is making a lifetime of difference."

James Lovering's passion for life-long learning has prompted him to enrol in numerous undergraduate courses in recent years. And his family's leadership gifts in support of education have ensured that UPEI students will benefit for generations to come.

Wayne Gretzky has said that nothing beats hard work except hard-working talent. Steve McOrmond, a UPEI English graduate raised on PEI, is the latest unbeatable literary talent from the Island. He will be launching and reading from his first book, Lean Days, at Confederation Centre Library on Thursday, February 17 at 7:30 pm.

McOrmond earned his Masters in Creative Writing and English at the University of New Brunswick, working with Governor-General's Award-winners Don McKay and Jan Zwicky. He now lives in Toronto, and returns home every year.

Novelist Helen Humphries writes, "Lean Days is testament to Steve McOrmond's honest and originality," and Newfoundland poet and novelist John Steffler says, "The poems in Lean Days range from deft meditations on the art of Glenn Gould to disarmingly honest lyrics about the gravitational pull of hometown and the rocket fuel of desire that blasts young hearts painfully across continents."

Reading with McOrmond is another of Canada's finest new poets, Sue Sinclair, who grew up in Newfoundland and lives in Toronto. In Mortal Arguments and Secrets of Weather and Hope, Sinclair addresses issues of profound philosophical and political importance such as consumerism, privilege, and our ability to respond to the suffering of others. She writes with mature depth.

This celebration of a new Island writer, and evening of some of the finest new poetry in the land, is sponsored by the UPEI English Department with generous support from the Canada Council of the Arts and Confederation Centre Library. For further information phone 566-0389.

Researchers from the University of Prince Edward Island (UPEI), together with colleagues and students from the University of the South Pacific (USP), were prominent participants in The Global Symposium on Gender and Fisheries which took place in Penang, Malaysia, recently. UPEI and USP have been working together to train South Pacific fisheries researchers and support their research on gender issues in small-scale fisheries.

"Women are actively engaged in harvesting, processing and selling fish, both for family food and domestic markets, plus they are integral supports for men's commercial and export oriented fisheries," notes Dr. Irene Novaczek, Director of the Institute of Island Studies at UPEI, "yet women's work, although critical to food security and community well-being, is rarely acknowledged or documented."

Under the direction of Dr. Jean Mitchell and Dr. Novaczek of UPEI, and Dr Joeli Veitayaki of USP, Pacific researchers from Kiribati, Samoa, Tonga, Fiji, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands and Tuvalu documented the critical roles women have in modern fisheries, and how gender roles have changed over time. Several of these studies were showcased in the Global Gender and Fisheries Symposium. Novaczek presented three papers. One told the story of Lelepa Island in Vanuatu. On this island, fisheries are severely depleted. Efforts to manage and conserve marine resources have met with limited success, in part because women and youth, who are active fishers, have no role in public decision-making. A second paper, co-authored by Novaczek and Mitchell, discussed how important it is to reject stereotypes and analytical processes that reinforce discrimination against women and perpetuate the view that women's work is unimportant. In a third paper, Novaczek looked at edible and medicinal marine plants as resources for rural women's small business development in the Pacific.

Novaczek reports that academics from all over Asia and the Pacific have shown interest in UPEI's unique Master of Arts in Island Studies Program."I hope that international exposure such as this will lead to exciting new collaborations with island researchers in Asia and the South Pacific," she notes. "In the recent tsunami, at least one university marine station in that region was heavily damaged. Tragically, a bright young marine researcher from the Andaman Islands is among the dead. The Institute of Island Studies will be looking for opportunities to develop projects that help to rebuild capacity in that region."

UPEI is pleased to announce that Dr. Irene Novaczek of Breadalbane, PEI has been appointed as the new Director of the Institute of Island Studies. She brings to this position a rich international experience in marine science, coastal resources management, and community development on small islands. Dr. Novaczek replaces Jane Ledwell who has taken a position with the PEI Council on the Status of Women.

Dr. Richard Kurial, Dean of Arts at UPEI, commented: "Under the leadership of Harry Baglole, the founding director, the Institute achieved a strong local and international reputation. Jane Ledwell built on the Institute's reputation for excellence and helped establish our unique Master's Program in Island Studies, which now involves 22 graduate students. In the past year, Dr. Godfrey Baldacchino was installed as Canada Research Chair in Island Studies. With the addition of Dr. Novaczek to the team, we anticipate continued growth, development, and success for Island Studies at UPEI."

Novaczek is known locally as an active citizen involved with environmental and social justice issues, and internationally as a marine scientist and community development practitioner. She has lived and worked on islands most of her life, in Canada, Europe, New Zealand, the Caribbean, Southeast Asia and the South Pacific. She recently worked with Pacific Islands researchers to document gender issues in small-scale fisheries. A book entitled, "Pacific Voices: Equity and Sustainability in South Pacific Fisheries," edited jointly by Dr. Novaczek, Dr. Jean Mitchell of UPEI, and Dr. Joeli Veitayaki of the University of the South Pacific, will be published later this year.

The mandates of the Institute of Island Studies include the promotion of research and policy analysis, and the linking of the university to the wider Island community. "This process of research, analysis and public engagement helps ensure that we understand, appreciate and conserve what makes our own island special," notes Novaczek, "while selecting development paths that are life- affirming and sustainable. The Institute also communicates and collaborates with island-based researchers all over the world, a process that helps us to learn and benefit from the experience of other islands while sharing our own expertise."

The Institute will mark its 20th anniversary this year and Dr. Novaczek points out that "this is an opportunity to celebrate the accomplishments of island artists, historians, scientists and other researchers, not only those on campus but also those active in the wider community." She adds that, "by taking time to note our accomplishments and our potential, we consolidate the base from which to launch new initiatives that will maintain the Institute as a relevant and progressive partner in public policy development on PEI."

A groundbreaking agreement that will improve the way training is delivered to federal and provincial public servants in PEI was signed on February 8 by representatives of government and academia. The agreement, the first of its kind in Canada, will bring accessible, affordable and relevant learning to public servants in Prince Edward Island

On hand for the signing were: Wade MacLauchlan, President of the University of Prince Edward Island; Alex MacAulay, President of Holland College; Janice Cochrane, President of the Canada School of the Public Service (CSPS); Dan Woodin, Second Vice-Chair of the PE.I Federal Council; Verna Bruce, Associate Deputy Minister of Veterans Affairs Canada; and Jim Ferguson, CEO of the P.E.I. Public Service Commission.

The partners will work in collaboration to achieve the objectives of the agreement, which are: to provide affordable and relevant training, development and learning opportunities to support a high-performing, professional public service; to utilize the training capacity of local learning institutions/organizations; and to increase access and participation of public servants to core and common learning offerings.

They will identify regional learning needs of federal and provincial public servants, determine the course content to meet these needs and identify trainers and subject matter experts. Each partner will also have a key specific role to play in accomplishing the objectives of the agreement. The Canada School of Public Service, as the common learning service provider for the Public Service of Canada, will determine evaluation criteria, provide curriculum, and monitor the quality and relevance of offerings.

The PEI Federal Council, which is made up of representatives from federal government departments and agencies in PEI who are dedicated to the retention and development of a high-performing, professional public service, will help determine regional federal learning needs. And as the major federal employer in PEI, Veterans Affairs Canada will contribute in identifying the regional learning needs specific to their employees.

Holland College will act as the lead for both UPEI and the College in being the point of contact for addressing these learning needs. A steering group, with representation from each of the six partners, will guide the development of course delivery. The Province of Prince Edward Island's focus in this partnership will be to explore synergies regarding core and common learning needs between federal and provincial public servants. This partnership will enhance current services provided to the Province by both Holland College and UPEI.

The agreement is in effect until March 31, 2007. For more information, contact Clive Keen, Director of the UPEI Centre for Life-long Learning, at 566-0440 or ckeen@upei.ca.

Every minute of every day another baby boomer turns 55 in Canada. The Atlantic provinces have more seniors per capita than any other part of the country, and that number is growing faster than anywhere else in the country. How will governments in the Atlantic region handle this challenge? That is the focus of a new almost $1.2 million research project out of Mount Saint Vincent University in which the University of Prince Edward Island is playing a key role. "Projecting the Housing Needs of Atlantic Canadians," brings together seniors, academics, service providers, housing developers and government departments to determine how to meet the housing needs of this rapidly-aging population.

Professor Judy-Lynn Richards, from the UPEI Department of Sociology and Anthropology, and Professor Lori Weeks, from the Department of Family and Nutritional Sciences, are two of the researchers involved. Richards, a gerontologist and social demographer, will lead the evaluation team and participate in questionnaire construction, data collection, and statistical projections.

"This project is a unique opportunity for UPEI, and other universities, to build on the good working relationships we already have with seniors, community groups, and government so that we can plan for the future housing needs of Atlantic Canada's senior population," says Richards. "Never before has there been such a collaborative effort on all fronts to address seniors' housing in the region. The alliance will work to respond to the varied housing needs of the relatively rural, but diverse, population of Atlantic seniors. I am proud to be a part of this collective project, to collaborate with many different stakeholders, especially seniors, to effect policy change related to seniors' housing options."

Weeks, a gerontologist and expert on family, will chair the PEI research implementation team. She will co-chair the PEI stakeholder group with Irene Larkin, Executive Director of the PEI Senior Citizens' Federation. Together, they will seek input from various sources in the community. Weeks will also analyze seniors' housing choices available across Canada and internationally.

"I am very pleased to be involved with this timely and important research," says Weeks. "Gerontologists need to be aware of current services and supports for seniors, and to what extent these will meet future needs. This research will help us to anticipate what type and amount of seniors' housing will be needed in the future on PEI and in Atlantic Canada. A strength of this research is that academics will work with government agencies and community groups to both conduct the research and develop policy."

The PEI Senior Citizens' Federation, as project collaborator, the Centre for the Study on Health and Aging, as partner, and other groups on PEI with an interest in seniors' housing will also play a major role in the research. Funding comes from a $1 million grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and#150; Community-University Research Alliance (CURA) program. An additional $181,000 comes from the government of Nova Scotia, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, Dalhousie University, the University of Prince Edward Island, Memorial University of Newfoundland, the University of New Brunswick and Mount Saint Vincent University.

The research will result in policy recommendations that will be used to assist government decision-makers, housing developers, and community organizations to design and plan for seniors' housing needs over the next 20 years.

Student nurses from the University of Prince Edward Island are making a name for themselves at the national level. Over the past few months they have won two awards from the Canadian Nursing Students Association (CNSA) and one from the Canadian Nurses Foundation.

"We have excellent students here at the UPEI School of Nursing. The fact that these students are competitive at a national level simply confirms this. The Faculty are extremely proud," says Kim Critchley, Acting Dean of Nursing.

The Canadian Nurses Foundation promotes health and patient care across Canada by supporting nursing research and education. The foundation has selected Erin Coady of Stratford, PEI as the first recipient of the Dr. Margaret Munro Scholarship, introduced in 2004 and valued at $3,000. Munro was the first Dean of Nursing at UPEI. The foundation established the national award in her name because of her strong commitment to nursing education and leadership. In addition to her support of the Canadian Nurses Foundation, Munro has created two nursing awards at UPEI, and is a member of the UPEI Visionary Society.

"I have great respect for Dr. Munro and I feel very honoured to be selected from applicants right across the country for this Canadian Nurses Foundation scholarship," says Erin Coady who is currently in her third year. After she graduates from UPEI she intends to pursue a master's degree as a nurse-practitioner.

At the Canadian Nursing Students Association national conference held recently in Windsor, Ontario, fourth-year Melanie McCarthy was awarded the Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing scholarship valued at $2,000 US. Nursing students from across Canada compete for this annual scholarship which recognizes clinical excellence.

"Partnership with clients and patients is key to clinical success. As a student, I am able to achieve clinical excellence due to the quality preceptors, mentors, and educational instructors I have experienced," says McCarthy, whose current interests include surgical nursing and health and nursing policy.

The CNSA, with over 10,000 members, is an affiliate member of the Canadian Nurses Association. In addition to honouring individual student achievement, the organization recognizes associations whose work increases student awareness and participation in CNSA within the university, regionally, and nationally. This year, the UPEI chapter carried off the CNSA Atlantic Region Achievement Award which was presented at the closing banquet of the CNSA national conference. The award will be displayed at the UPEI School of Nursing. Melanie McCarthy is the national delegate from the UPEI Chapter of CNSA for 2004-2005 and Brianne Timpson is associate delegate.

The public is invited to attend a free Culture Cafand#233; called Small Acts: Island Communities Within a Globalizing World on Wednesday, February 23, at 7 pm, at the Confederation Centre Art Gallery.

On December 26, 2004, tsunamis caused by earthquakes killed more than 150,000 people around the Indian Ocean, including on Andaman Islands, Hafun, the Maldives, the Nicobar Islands, Phuket, the Seychelles, Sri Lanka and Sumatra. Once again putting islands on the map and agenda globally, such large-scale disasters and smaller-scale incidents like the storm surges that have devastated coastal areas locally are reminders of the vulnerability of islands to natural disasters and the challenges that isolated geographies face when dealing with risk and disasters.

During this cafand#233;, audience members can join in an informal dialogue with UPEI faculty members Dr. Godfrey Baldacchino, Dr. Edward MacDonald, Dr. Irene Novaczek and Professor. Annie Spears who will speak from their particular areas of expertise about the forms of vulnerability experienced by island settings and the potential roles that islands may play in the public and political sphere. The discussion will explore the role of island connections and possibilities of mutual learning and aid among islands, the role of island researchers in preventing, mitigating and responding to natural disasters, as well as development paths and how they may worsen the vulnerabilities of islands.

Island societies vary extensively in their physical size and location, environmental conditions and natural resources, cultural, social, economic and political profiles, historical experiences, and relative insularity or peripherality. This event will examine a possible shared role amongst island-dwellers in a globalizing world - their unique position to contribute to the study and creation of knowledge regarding the characteristics and abilities of small islands, and the potential for "small acts" which could respond to and be used to reduce their vulnerability.

Dr. Irene Novaczek is the newly appointed Director of the Institute of Island Studies at UPEI. A former board member for CUSO, she has been working as an independent scientific and research consultant in marine ecology and coastal community development.

Dr. Godfrey Baldacchino is the first Canada Research Chair in Island Studies and an associate professor in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at UPEI. He is also visiting professor to the Department of Sociology at the University of Malta and the director of its Workers' Development Centre.

UPEI history professor Dr. Edward MacDonald focuses his research on PEI history, placing it within a comparative context, regionally, nationally, and in terms of island societies. As well, he is interested in tourism here and the subject of cultural transference within immigrant groups coming to Atlantic Canada in the 18th- and 19th-centuries.

Professor Annie Spears is the coordinator of the Master of Arts in Island Studies, and professor of economics at the University of Prince Edward Island.

The Gallery's Culture Cafand#233;s are free forums for open dialogue on vital current issues. All are welcome. Coffee and refreshments will be served. For more information, contact Shauna McCabe, Senior Curator, at 629-1152.

The Senate of the University of Prince Edward Island has selected the recipients of honorary doctoral degrees to be conferred for the 2004-2005 academic year. Five honorary degrees will be conferred at two convocations on Saturday, May 14. The recipients will be Honourable James Lee, Colin MacDonald, the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Martha, John Joe Sark, and Charles Stewart Scranton.

"Over the years, UPEI has been proud to recognize outstanding achievements by Prince Edward Islanders and others through the awarding of honouring degrees," says UPEI President Wade MacLauchlan. "Our 2005 recipients are wonderful role models for our graduates and for the entire community; we are happy to celebrate their successes and contributions."

Hon. James Lee served as an MLA for 11 years, as Minister of Health and Social Services, Minister of Tourism, and Premier of PEI (1981-86). After he became Premier, he seized the establishment of the Atlantic Veterinary College as the top in his mandate. His determination to expand post-secondary education and foster development on PEI has been recognized as a primary factor leading to Ottawa and the Atlantic provinces signing an agreement to build the college at UPEI. Mr. Lee has been active in numerous organizations, including the Canadian Unity Council, Veterans Review and Appeal Board and Canadian Pension Commission, Canadian Jaycee Senate, North Shore Community Council, Stanhope Historical Society, 4 H, and Hillsborough Rotary. He has recently retired as Chair of the Workers' Compensation Board of PEI.

Colin MacDonald has had an extensive career in the international seafood industry. He is President and CEO of Clearwater Seafoods Limited Partnership, and is co-owner and director of Clearwater Fine Foods Inc. An active community member and volunteer, his activities include serving as Chair of the IWK Children's Hospital Foundation, and chairing the Chester and Area Family Resource Centre and the Wherehouse Youth Centre. Mr. MacDonald is a strong supporter of the Atlantic Veterinary College and UPEI through his leadership and vision as a founding member of the AVC Lobster Science Centre. He has also served as President of the Canadian Lobster Producers' Association.

The Congregation of the Sisters of St. Martha, commonly referred to as "The Marthas", was founded in 1916. The activities of the Congregation have had a powerful and positive influence in PEI. They have participated extensively in higher education at St. Dunstan's University and UPEI, and in primary and secondary education as teachers and administrators. The Sisters of Martha have made significant contributions to health care in their diverse roles in the Charlottetown, Queen Elizabeth, and Western hospitals. They have also contributed to the social welfare of Islanders through their activities involving child welfare, treatment centres, and health care for seniors, as well as parish and prison ministry. They have lived up to their motto, "to love and serve," throughout PEI and beyond.

John Joe Sark was the first Island Mi'kmaq graduate of UPEI in 1979. He is the Keptin of the Mi'kmaq Grand Council and one of the foremost authorities on the Mi'kmaq people. Sark has led the way in speaking out against racist attitudes and actions on PEI. He is well-known across Canada for his work on campaigns in support of human rights and against racism. As a representative of the Mi'Kmaq Council, Sark has lobbied for rights and recognition internationally, including audiences with the Pope regarding residential schools. He was involved in the drafting of the UN Declaration of Indigenous Peoples of the World. In February 2005, he was recognized for his accomplished career with a National Aboriginal Achievement Award.

Charles Stewart Scranton had a 32-year career in agriculture, first as a poultry fieldman and later as Inspector in Charge of the Poultry Division of Agriculture Canada for PEI. He retired early to devote his time to the raising and promotion of Hereford cattle. The high quality Herefords of Scranton Park Ranch have captured numerous national honours. Mr. Scranton has served as a director of many agricultural organizations, including the PEI Federation of Agriculture and the Canadian Hereford Association. In 2005, in his 90th year, he will serve as President of the Easter Beef Show and Sale, a role that he has played for many years. Mr. Scranton has spent much of his life supporting his community and church. He was a founder of Camp Segunakadeck (Seggie), one of the largest Baptist camps in Atlantic Canada. A new chapel on the camp site bears the name "Scranton Chapel" in recognition of Charles and his wife, Helen Scranton's many years of service and support.