Memorial University is vital to province's rural areas

"Memorial University is Newfoundland and Labrador's university." Many of you, no doubt, have heard this comment. Far from being just a pithy marketing slogan, this statement points to an important truth about Memorial University: the university and the life, culture and prosperity of the province are closely intertwined. It is a message which I have heard frequently, and it is also the message which I am delivering to the people I meet all over Newfoundland and Labrador. It is a message in which I strongly believe. No matter where I have visited – Corner Brook, Gander, Grand Falls-Windsor, Happy Valley-Goose Bay, Marystown, Clarenville, Carbonear – I heard a similar message. The university helps to provide the province with educated and knowledgeable citizens; it is a source of valuable research and expertise for new and emerging enterprises.

The key, I am often reminded, is for the university to reach out and make the connection with those individuals and organizations who would benefit from what we have to offer. Due to the challenges experienced by people in small communities and the rural parts of the province, they are particularly calling for greater involvement by the university. A look at some recent President's Reports (available on-line at www.mun.ca/univrel/presidents ) gives a good indication of the activities in which faculty and staff have been engaging to reach out to the province. For example, we deliver a wide range of courses through distance education (12,000 registrations last year), a CD-ROM was developed to improve treatment for cancer patients in rural areas, and at various sites around the province archaeologists have been shedding light on our past, and creating tourism opportunities for the future. In addition, the university has been at the forefront of the burgeoning aquaculture industry for several decades, and we are about to enhance the university presence in the oil and gas sector.

We will be doing more. For instance, the Faculty of Arts has developed a proposal for a Public Policy Centre and secured external funding for two years. The centre will look at current public policy issues and problems, many of which have great significance for rural Newfoundland and Labrador. Another example is a project entitled "Coast Under Stress: The Impact of Social and Environmental Restructuring on Environmental and Human Health in Canada". This project is supported by one of the largest grants ever awarded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) and the Medical Research Council of Canada (MRC) and attests to the capabilities of Memorial University's faculty, staff and students. The project, which also involves the University of Victoria and the University of Calgary, is national in scope and will include the study of ecological problems such as over-fishing. It will help with the formation of better policy decisions and the creation of expertise for positive change in rural communities.

I see great benefit in working with rural Newfoundland and Labrador. I therefore wish to express my appreciation to all of you for what you have already done and I look forward to furthering this type of work in the future.

Axel Meisen
PRESIDENT AND VICE-CHANCELLOR

Visit the president's homepage at:  www.mun.ca/president