Niagara College enjoys a mutually beneficial relationship with New College Lanarkshire (NCL) located in Scotland, representing development opportunities for students, faculty, and staff.
The partnership started in March 2021, when NC and NCL signed a three-year Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) intending to allow students, faculty, and staff the opportunity to benefit from best practices in both Scotland and Canada’s applied education system.
Bringing Niagara to the World
One recent opportunity was the Be World Ready (BWR) International Field Studies (IFS) trip to Scotland from April 22 to 30, which allowed NC students to develop strong intercultural skills. For many NC students, one of the Kilt-y as Charged itinerary highlights was joining fellow students at NCL for an educational session on their Motherwell Campus.
“Experiencing a culture totally different from Canada and my home country was what excited me most about this trip,” said the first-year Culinary Innovation and Food Technology student Khristian Sheng Xu Manrique, originally from Peru. “I took every chance to learn, especially how food trends change from country to country.”
During the visit to NCL, one of the BWR IFS trip leaders, Chef Mitchell Lamb, Professor at NC’s School of Food & Wine Sciences, gave the lecture “Chef’s Perspective of the Canadian Experience.”
“Exploring the culture and history of a new place for the first time was an unforgettable experience,” said Lamb. “It was exceptional to share this experience with a group of NC students and global colleagues.”
Bringing the World to Niagara
Historically, NCL has hosted NC students and faculty during the spring break week, and NC had hosted this group on a similar program in Spring 2022. Recently, 22 students from NCL and four accompanying faculty were in Niagara for a two-week customized study tour from May 26 to June 9. The study tour program was administered by the Global Customized Training and Consulting, part of the Global Engagement department of NC’s International Division.
In addition to attending courses from ten different schools of study at NC, NCL students participated in workshops focused on Leadership, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI), Personal Brand, and Entrepreneurship/Intrapreneurship. The itinerary also included visiting NC’s Welland and Daniel J. Patterson campuses and exploring some of the Niagara Region’s historical and cultural attractions.
Computer Science student Mark Frame will be the student president for NCL this upcoming academic year and hopes to implement in NCL what he has learned and experienced at NC.
“Niagara College actively creates opportunities for its students to better themselves, the environment, and the community,” said Frame. “In my new role, I hope to create the same atmosphere NC radiated. Something that stuck with me was that NC openly stated the Land Acknowledgement during the seminars, showing the College not only cares about the future but also recognizes that the past plays a pivotal role.”
Preparing World Ready Graduates and Staff
This partnership also allows Niagara College to expand its global reach inside the classroom. NC students recently participated in an international virtual class in NC’s Hairstyling program, delivered live on Zoom by NCL’s faculty Jacquelin Cuthbertson on March 29. Also, NC’s Hairstyling program hosted NCL students, through the guidance of Hairstyling Technologist Renee Bernard.
“This is a great partnership and opportunity that expands students learning,” said Jeffrey Murrell, Associate Dean of the School of Trades. “Initiatives like this bring a piece of the world directly to NC.”
Another result of the partnership was the virtual class taught in the Winter of 2022 by School of Justice and Fitness Professor John Bauer to both NC and NCL students.
Also, last year, NC’s Honours Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Human Resources (HR) students supported NCL’s Equity Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) and wellness workplace initiatives as part of their capstone project.
