MoU agreed to support Welsh and Canadian further education
Seven principals and vice-principals from Wales's further education colleges were part of an outward delegation to attend the World Federation of Colleges and Polytechnics/Colleges and Institutes Canada annual congress in Montreal from 23-25 April 2023. The congress brought together post-secondary leaders from around the world in the largest event of its kind.
26 April 2023
The congress also coincided with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between ColegauCymru, Universities Wales, and Colleges and Institutes Canada, facilitated by Global Wales. This MoU cements the mutual commitment to developing links and sharing dialogue on further and higher education co-operation between Wales and Canada.
Under the MoU, Universities Wales and CollegesWales will aim to facilitate the following on behalf of their member universities and colleges in Wales, which Colleges and Institutes Canada will, in turn, aim to facilitate on behalf of their member institutions in Canada:
- Short term student and faculty mobility
- Applied Research and Curriculum development related to skills acquisition and employability
- Institutional partnerships and articulation agreements,
- Familiarisation tours and/or related activities
Partnership development is a priority for Global Wales, and collaboration between institutions can increase student recruitment, enhance mobility, and boost the reputation of education in Wales internationally.
The congress included workshops, presentations, and networking opportunities, providing a chance for Welsh delegates to explore partnership development and share knowledge and best practices with international stakeholders. Over 1500 international delegates attended the congress, allowing Welsh Principals to develop new partnerships, and share best practices.
The Global Wales evening reception took place on 24 April and it celebrated partnership and collaboration between FE colleges in Wales and Canada. The reception gave the delegates from Wales the chance to connect with their Canadian counterparts, allowing for valuable networking and partnership development opportunities. The event and conference participation were supported via Global Wales and Taith, Welsh Government funded programmes
Colleges and Institutes Canada is the national and international voice of Canada’s largest post-secondary education network, providing a range of support to Canada’s publicly funded colleges, institutes, and polytechnics.
The World Federation of Colleges and Polytechnics is an international network of colleges represening 62 countries, including India, the US, and Canada, all of which are priority markets for Global Wales. It works to share best practice and support partnership development. The organisation runs seven affinity groups, which give members a forum to network with their international peers, share best practices, and adopt methods to increase workforce employability of professional and technical education and training graduates.
Global Wales would like to add our thanks to colleagues in ColegauCymru and Colleges and Institutes Canada for their collaboration in the lead up to the delegation and the MoU signing.