Nipissing university student chosen for African seminar

A North Bay university student is one of five from Ontario to be selected to attend an offshore seminar. Further details are included in the following news release issued today by the World University Service Canada:
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Nipissing Student selected for African seminar

Ottawa, Ont.
WUSC is proud to announce the names of 20 young Canadians who will be participating in the 57th WUSC Summer Seminar, to be held in Malawi this June and July.

Vanessa Houston, a fourth-year geography student at Nipissing University will be one of the participants.

Houston is a fourth year Geography of International Development student at Nipissing University in North Bay Ontario, where she was born and raised. She will be pursuing her Master's degree in International Development Studies in September 2004 with a focus on development issues in Africa. She would like to concentrate her research on the issue of AIDS in Africa, and feels that her experience in Malawi will greatly contribute to her future academic endeavors. Vanessa plans to pursue a career in International Development upon completion of her M.A., and hopes to raise awareness within Canada concerning the challenges that face Africa and the developing world.

"For over five decades the WUSC Summer Seminar has
been instrumental in transforming the lives of young Canadians and in transforming the world," said Paul Davidson, Executive Director of WUSC.

The students have been chosen from universities across Canada on the basis of academic excellence, extra-curricular leadership and a demonstrated commitment to international understanding.

During their six-week stay in Malawi, students will be hosted by Malawian families. In collaboration with Malawian students, they will carry out research examining the impact of HIV/AIDS and its devastating consequences in Malawi's efforts to meet the Millennium Development Goals. In addition to the research project, they will visit development projects and attend academic conferences.

For many of the students, this will be their first experience in a developing country.

They join a distinguished group of prominent Canadians who have participated in previous Summer Seminars, including Pierre Trudeau, Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin, OECD Secretary General Donald Johnston, Governor of the Bank of Canada David Dodge, and many others.

"The students participating this summer represent a new
generation of Canadians committed to seizing the responsibilities of global citizenship, and will contribute to restoring Canada's place in the world," Davidson added.

Since 1948, more than 2,000 students and academic advisors have participated in WUSC Seminars in Latin America, Africa, Asia, North America and Europe.

WUSC's Summer Seminar is funded in part by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). Participants are required to fundraise a portion of the costs and carry out development education activities in their communities upon their return to Canada.

Today's announcement is made in conjunction with International Development Week.