International grad student exchange comes to UCalgary

Late last year, five doctoral students from the Werklund School of Education travelled to China to spend a week with students from Beijing Normal University (BNU) and Australia’s Queensland University of Technology (QUT). 

The three teams of students are part of a research program that considers doctoral research across cultures-- what it means to challenge previously held understandings of language, research, education and the broader social cultural context.

The idea of the program is to have the students visit all three countries for week-long intensive programs that encourage discussion and dialogue.

The second stop on their program was the University of Calgary, where the students gathered in May for a week of academic and cultural sessions.

In the early part of their visit, they took part in seminars and meetings held on campus, and they finished off the week as participants in the Ideas 2016 conference, hosted by Werklund and the Galileo Educational Network; the annual conference focuses on educational assessment and designing for innovation.

In the middle of the week, on a beautiful sunny southern Alberta day, the participants were invited to the Siksika Nation, where they spent time at the Crowfoot School and Blackfoot Crossing. The students—both from abroad and from UCalgary--welcomed the opportunity to learn more about Canada’s First Peoples. They found their experience both informative and emotional.