International activities

The Department of Geography has a long history of international engagement, and is known for its strong support of international initiatives on campus. It plays a pre-eminent role in advancing UVic's Strategic Plan objectives of enhancing the quality of both undergraduate and graduate education through greater internationalization of the university. Internationalization pervades the department's mandated responsibilities of teaching, research, and service.

Department involvement

Many faculty members are involved in international research and development projects around the globe, and have been for many years. Many of our graduate students become involved in international work, and Geography currently hosts three large CIDA projects.

The research conducted through the Community-based Research Lab in collaboration with local institutions, for example, works on Participatory Sustainable Waste Management in Brazil's São Paulo metropolitan region, or on co-management fisheries in the marine protected extractive reserve in Arraial do Cabo, Brazil.

Two departmental members are co-investigators in a recently awarded SSHRC-IDRC International Community University Research Alliance (ICURA) based at Vancouver Island University involving work in Tanzania, Ghana, and Canada. All graduate students (9 PhDs, 6 Masters) funded under this initiative will undertake their work in the department.

In addition, several faculty members are actively involved in advising international organizations and overseas governments on various development issues, and their experiences are readily shared with students through their teaching.

Research centres

Several faculty members also have key roles (e.g., Members of the Executive Committee) with internationally focused research centres on campus such as the Centre for Global Studies and the Centre for Asia Pacific Initiatives.