PITCH101, Atlantic Canada's 60-Second Pitch Series takes place on Friday, February 1, 1-5 pm at UPEI's Don & Marion McDougall Hall, Room 242. The event, which is organized by Invest Atlantic and co-sponsored by ACOA, Innovation PEI, and the Greater Charlottetown Area Chamber of Commerce brings together students, startups, young and seasoned entrepreneurs, investors, and mentors for a networking forum.

The event starts off with an inspiring hour-long 'fireside discussion' emceed by UPEI's Dean of the School of Business, Alan Duncan. The discussion among guests and audience members will be on a specific topic such as 'Access to Capital' carried over from the last Invest Atlantic Conference. Participants will then pitch for one minute to a panel of experienced pitch judges and the audience.

These pitches are designed to be a crucial first step in helping prepare entrepreneurs to develop longer pitches and demos for when they meet real-time investors and potential partners. UPEI has two students presenting their entrepreneurial ideas-Duncan Shaw, UPEI alumni and Board member, and Jevon MacDonald, former student and soon-to-be UPEI graduate.

UPEI encourages students to attend as the event is free for students and provides an opportunity to hear first-hand about entrepreneurship from some of the top entrepreneurs in the region. Click here to register.

Pierre Lafontaine, Swimming Canada CEO, national team coach, and newly appointed Canadian Interuniversity Sport CEO will be the guest speaker at UPEI's swim team fundraising event on Thursday, February 7 at the Rodd Royalty Hotel.

Lafontaine led Swimming Canada to podium finishes at major international games, including three Olympic and 39 Paralympic medals, as well as several world-record performances. Prior to his time at Swimming Canada, he worked with the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS), which included a three-year stint as their head swimming coach. At the 2004 Summer Olympics, AIS swimmers captured six medals, two of which were gold.

He has also held numerous coaching positions in Canada and the United States dating back to 1976, including head coach of the Phoenix Swim Club in Arizona, where athletes reached the podium eight times at the 2000 Olympics, including three gold medals.

'I'm personally very excited to have Pierre as our event's guest speaker,' said Bill Calhoun, UPEI swimming head coach. 'He's an electrifying speaker who sends everyone away feeling motivated and prepared for challenges to come.'

Tickets for the fundraising event can be purchased for $60, which includes a reception beginning at 6:00 pm, a dinner to follow at 6:45, and a live and silent auction. 2013 Subway AUS Swimming Championship (February 8-10) tickets can also be purchased for $15 for the weekend, or $10 per day. For more information, or to purchase tickets, please contact Carol at heartz@upei.ca or (902) 566-0432.

UPEI will be celebrating its 12th annual International Development Week (IDW), February 4-8, with all events open to the public. The 2013 theme is 'The Role of Youth in Global Collaboration for Sustainable Peace and Development.' IDW is a national event held each year to increase awareness of Canada's role in international development. The events also serve to educate the general public on life in developing countries.

Some of this year's IDW events include a community luncheon, global trivia, international coffeehouse, the first public film screening of CHASING ICE in Atlantic Canada, and special guest presentations by the Honourable Mobina S. B. Jaffer, Senator for British Columbia; Dr. Adam Fenech, Director of UPEI's Climate Research Lab and Dr. Douglas R. Brown, Director of Agriculture and Food Security at World Vision International.

Senator Jaffer's keynote presentation during the annual luncheon will examine and reflect on IDW 2013's theme. She will look at the theme from three different angles: health, nutrition, and women in conflict, with an emphasis on knowledge sharing. Dr. Fenech and Dr. Brown will host the film screening and discuss climate change and its international and local impacts.

The full schedule of events is posted on upei.ca/idw. For more information, contact Erin Clarke at (902) 894-2842 or eeclarke@upei.ca.

Madeleine Thien was born in Vancouver in 1974, the same year her Malaysian-Chinese parents immigrated to Canada from Malaysia. In Thien's new novel, Dogs at the Perimeter, her heroine's life in Montreal as a neuroscientist, wife, and mother unravels when she is overwhelmed by the haunting legacy of her horrifying childhood in post-war Cambodia during the Khmer Rouge's brutal rule. As readers, we are plunged into the child's effort to survive a savage catastrophe, and the adult's struggle to transcend the sorrows of the past.

As a part of the UPEI Winter's Tales Author Reading Series, Thien will read and talk about her fiction on Thursday, February 7, at 7:30 pm in the Confederation Centre Art Gallery. A reception and book signing will follow her reading.

Her first book, Simple Recipes, a short-story collection, won four prizes, including the City of Vancouver Book Award. Certainty, her first novel, won the Amazon.ca/Books in Canada First Novel Award and has been translated into 16 languages. Thien now resides in Quebec.

In an article Thien wrote for The Guardian (UK) about Dogs at the Perimeter while at the Edinburgh International Book Festival last year, she said, 'In my 30s, I began spending time in Cambodia. I found, as the months and years passed, that I could not let the country go, and I began, despite many doubts, to write about the aftermath of the Khmer Rouge years. There are, I believe, eternal and harrowing questions that the Cambodian genocide poses, and which we have never confronted. The Khmer Rouge emptied the cities, people changed their names, let go of their identities and effaced their selves; the world forgot a small country that had suffered immeasurably from the interference and the wars of larger powers.'

'I am almost 40 now,' she wrote, 'the novel is finished, but my questions remain. If a person erases him or herself in order to survive, how can they find that self again? Can survival bring them peace, or is it only madness to remember?' Her new novel offers powerful answers to these questions.

Madeleine Thien is a voice of courageous vision from the newer waves of Canadians whose heritage and ancestral histories are not in western Europe, but in such regions as Southeast Asia. The UPEI English Department, in collaboration with Confederation Centre Art Gallery, and with support from The Canada Council of the Arts, is honoured to present Thien and her fiction to an Island audience.

As a part of UPEI's Winter's Tales Author Reading Series, Madeleine Thien, author of Certainty and Dogs at the Perimeter, will present her fiction on Thursday, February 7 at 7:30 pm in the Confederation Centre Art Gallery. A reception and book signing will follow her reading.

Thien was born in Vancouver in 1974, the year her Malaysian-Chinese parents immigrated to Canada. Her novels and short stories powerfully explore her heritage in the Asian-Canadian communities of Canada's west coast, and the tragic and heroic struggles of people in post-war Southeast Asia.

Her visit to PEI is sponsored by the UPEI English Department, in collaboration with Confederation Centre Art Gallery, and with support from The Canada Council of the Arts.

The UPEI student conference-'Difficult Dialogues: Exploring Relationships Between Identities and Power'-takes place February 8 and 9 with registration beginning on Friday, February 8 at 12:30 pm in Main Building, room 520.

Over 25 students from UPEI, Dalhousie University, Saint Mary's University, St. Thomas University, and the University of New Brunswick will be presenting papers from many disciplines/areas of study which relate to the theme of exploring relationships between identities and power. Topics include troubling categories; bodies; power and privilege; gender, violence, and rights; communities and networks; interpreting texts; and labour and other markets.

This year's keynote speaker is S. Bear Bergman, author playwright, and storyteller, who will deliver his lecture entitled 'Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Gender.' The keynote will take place in the K.C. Irving Chemistry Centre, room 104, on Friday at 5:00 pm.

The conference and keynote presentation are made possible through the generous contributions of the UPEI Action Committee on Sexuality and Gender Diversity, the Office of the Dean of Arts, and the following departments in the Faculty of Arts: English, Philosophy, Psychology, Theatre Studies, and Women's Studies.

The conference is free and all are welcome to attend. For a full event schedule, visit http://www.upeidifficultdialogues.ca/program/. For more information, contact Ann Braithwaite at abraithwaite@upei.ca or 628-4312.

A recognition event was held on Monday, January 28, to honour members of the family of G. Stewart and C. Jean (Ross) MacKay and their contributions to the capital campaign for UPEI's Health Sciences Building which houses the School of Nursing and the Department of Applied Human Sciences. The second floor collaboratory was officially named after the family during the event and a plaque was unveiled.

The MacKay family has a recognized tradition of support to Island communities. Their volunteer efforts and financial support to charitable causes continue to have impact. The MacKay family has contributed over $100,000 to the University through student scholarships and support to the health sciences building campaign.

The annual G. Stewart MacKay Scholarship supports the educational, athletic, and leadership development of students, while the annual C. Jean (Ross) MacKay, RN Nursing Scholarship is awarded to a returning UPEI student enrolled in the Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program who intends to pursue an international learning experience. The first-ever recipient of the nursing scholarship is second-year nursing student Amanda Fitzpatrick. Fitzpatrick spoke during the celebration to express her appreciation to the MacKay family.

UPEI's Interim Vice-President Academic, Christian Lacroix, brought greetings and thanks to the family on behalf of the University. 'On behalf of the President, my colleagues, and the students here, we're very appreciative of the support your family has provided to UPEI. It's a point of pride for us to be able to say that we have friends like the MacKays who believe in this institution, who want to see it succeed, and we are doing just that.'

Rosemary Herbert, Dean of the School of Nursing, explained that the collaboratory is an important gathering space for nursing students to review their work and assignments with faculty before entering the laboratories that include high-fidelity simulation mannequins within the Vera E. Dewar Learning Resource Lab.

Gordon MacKay and his sisters Carole MacKay Ellis, Connie MacKay-Carr, and Lori MacKay Loggie, were present for the unveiling of the plaque. Not able to be present was their sibling Marilyn MacKay-Lyons who resides in Halifax. Gordon said a few words on behalf of the MacKay family and on behalf of his parents. 'My mother was very proud as a nurse; it was something that she carried with her throughout her whole life. She made lifelong friends at the PEI School of Nursing-friends so close they were like sisters,' said Gordon. 'I know my parents would both be so proud to have this named in their memory.'

The University extends its gratitude to the MacKay family and is pleased to express its appreciation through the official naming of the G. Stewart and C. Jean (Ross) MacKay Collaboratory.

For more information on contributing to UPEI's capital campaign, please contact advancement@upei.ca.

Dr. Blake Jelley, Associate Professor of Management in UPEI's School of Business, recently achieved the nation's top score on the National Knowledge Exam (NKE) offered by the Canadian Council of Human Resources Associations in October 2012.

Over 1,650 candidates wrote the NKE-a 150-question, multiple-choice exam that assesses knowledge of professional practice; organizational effectiveness; staffing; employee and labour relations; total compensation; organizational learning, training, and development; and occupational health, safety, and wellness. The NKE is one of the requirements to obtain the Certified Human Resources Professional designation.

'To score the top mark in the country is a fantastic accomplishment. This demonstrates the calibre and quality of faculty that the UPEI School of Business is fortunate to have,' said Alan Duncan, Dean of the School of Business. 'To be able to mix the academic theory with the practical application is a difficult skill. Blake's achievement highlights that we have faculty who know the evidence and are wonderful resources for our students and our Island community.'

Jelley is the son of Lorraine and the late Paul Jelley of Charlottetown. He holds a PhD in industrial-organizational psychology from Western University. He teaches undergraduate and executive MBA courses in organizational behaviour, human resource management, and business research methods.

His scholarly research has appeared in numerous peer-reviewed journals, including acclaimed outlets such as the Journal of Applied Psychology, Personnel Psychology, and Human Resource Management. He is past chair of the Canadian Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology and has worked and consulted in both the private and public sectors. Much of his current work focuses on evidence-based management which involves using management research to inform practice in organizations as well as using practitioners' needs and insights to inform management research.

For more information on the NKE, visit http://www.chrp.ca/rpc/nke/.

It's a busy weekend for UPEI Panthers as they host the AUS swimming championship and regular season basketball and hockey games.

The AUS swimming championship takes place February 8-February 10 at the CARI Complex, with swim heats beginning at 10:00 am and finals at 6:00 pm daily. Tickets can be purchased for $10 per day or $15 for the weekend by contacting Carol at heartz@upei.ca or (902) 566-0432.

In Friday's action the UPEI Panthers basketball teams host the University of New Brunswick with the women's game at 6:00 pm, and the men's game at 8:00 pm. The men's hockey team finishes off its regular season at home against St. Thomas University where they will honour senior players, Dylan Quaile, Matt Boyle, Harrison McIver, and Zach McCullough before the puck drops. Game time is 7:00 pm.

On Saturday, UPEI basketball teams take on Cape Breton University with women's action at 6:00 pm and the men's game at 8:00 pm. UPEI women's hockey team hosts l'Université de Moncton at 7:00 pm at the MacLauchlan Arena.

UPEI Athletics & Recreation reminds all Panther fans to visit gopanthersgo.ca for game updates and cancellations.

UPEI President and Vice-Chancellor Alaa Abd-El-Aziz recently returned from an eight-day UPEI/PEI mission to Egypt and Turkey as part of his student-faculty mobility and international recruitment strategy.

The President met with senior higher education government officials and with several universities in both countries. UPEI's focus is on enhancing current, and developing new, partnerships in the Middle East as well as China, Japan, and parts of Africa such as Nigeria and Ethiopia.

While in Egypt, Abd-El-Aziz was accompanied by Premier of Prince Edward Island Robert Ghiz and Canadian Ambassador to Egypt David Drake, who was a great support in facilitating many meetings. After meeting with the Minister of Higher Education and Deputy Minister of Higher Education at the Cairo University campus, Abd-El-Aziz said, 'Premier Ghiz and his grasp of the Island's post-secondary education system was very well-received at the universities we visited. I was proud to participate in our joint mission, educating our colleagues on how PEI offers a safe, stable environment in which to pursue post-secondary education. UPEI has a strong tradition of educating and welcoming people from around the world dating back to its St. Dunstan's University and Prince of Wales College roots and we were successful in reinforcing an already positive reputation.'

A highlight of the Egypt portion of the trip was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with October 6 University, located just outside Cairo, to establish a teaching and learning centre on the October 6th campus and to explore 2 plus 2 programs (where students complete two years of study at one university and finish the final two at the other). Premier Ghiz signed as a witness to the agreement.

The President and Premier also met with students from many different fields as well as medical students. Students were very interested in the Canadian democratic system and the potential for further studies in Canada. Representatives from the October 6 University student union and ENCTUS (formerly known as SIFE or Students in Free Enterprise) were also in attendance.

Meetings also took place with longstanding partner Misr International University to discuss establishing a collaborative Centre for Professional Development, and with the British University in Egypt (BUE) President Ahmed Amin Hamza to discuss a possible agreement to begin student mobility projects between BUE and UPEI.

Premier Ghiz and President Abd-El-Aziz then travelled to Istanbul to meet with Canadian Ambassador to Turkey John Holmes, and business leaders of the Turkish business council to discuss opportunities for cooperative work in both PEI and Turkey. Ambassador Holmes was instrumental in the organization of a number of events including a meeting with the Deputy Governor of Istanbul City to discuss mutual collaboration in industry and post-secondary education.

While in Turkey, the president, chair of the Board of Trustees, vice-presidents, deans, and students of Bahcesehir University hosted the UPEI delegation for meetings, resulting in the signing of an MOU between UPEI and Bahcesehir University. Preliminary discussions entertained the possible establishment of an Institute for English Academic Preparation (EAP) on the UPEI campus; international practicum experience opportunities for UPEI Education and Nursing students; engineering and climate change research collaborations; and student exchange and mobility programs.

'UPEI continues to offer quality education by recognizing that international experiences for our students are equally as important as classroom learning. By experiencing other cultures either on campus or by travelling and studying abroad, our students will discover that our world is becoming 'smaller' and despite differences, there are many common challenges we face,' added Abd-El-Aziz. 'With a global perspective and the province of PEI serving as a laboratory-like environment, UPEI students will have even greater opportunity to develop and share creative solutions that have global applications.'

'This is why my goal is to continue building strategic relationships with universities around the world. The success of this mission to Egypt and Turkey was due in large part to having our Premier with us to present our province and our University as an excellent educational destination.'