MONTREAL/June 29, 2005—
From July 4 to August 21, 2005, 10 professors from two universities in Ukraine will take courses and participate in workshops at Concordia as part of the Community Economic Development (CED) Project - Ukraine. The project is managed by the Canadian Bureau of International Education (CBIE) and is financed by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA).
Concordia's involvement in this project will be in two phases. The first phase, during the summer of 2005, will involve extensive classroom training. The second phase to be held in the summer of 2006 and will provide further course work as well as internships within Montreal based CED initiatives.
The goal of this initiative is to help communities empower themselves, to mobilize their resources, start community initiatives, and work in partnership with local authorities. Applying principles and practices of good governance, the goal of the project is to improve the quality of economic and social life and address environmental issues.
Tony Berezowecki, project manager, explains how CBIE first became aware of Concordia's CED programs. This began several years ago through contacts with the programs of Concordia's Institute in Management and Community Development. The Ukraine Manager of our Civil Society Community Roots Project took part in the Institute's popular annual summer program, which attracts community development practitioners from all over the world.
"We were also highly impressed by the Graduate Program in Community Economic Development offered by the School of Community and Public Affairs (SCPA). Its approach,, the professional background and experience of the program's instructors, the relevant content of its courses, the types of grass-roots students it attracts, and the many linkages between university training and practical applications in local communities addressing critical economic and social issues in the lives of ordinary people were all elements close to the design of the CED Project,î he added.
The professors from Uzhhorod National University and Cherkasy State Technological University will gain Canadian expertise in community economic development, which will assist them in preparing and presenting courses on the subject in their institutions. They will also share their knowledge with a wide variety of partner organizations in Ukraine, specifically in three regions in which local communities have clearly demonstrated their profound desire to improve their socio-economic conditions.
For more information, contact Perry Calce, Coordinator Academic Programs and Curriculum Development at the SCPA at (514) 848-2424, ext. 2579 or at cperry@alcor.concordia.ca
List of participating professors
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Source :
Tanya Churchmuch
Senior Media Relations Advisor
Concordia University
