people involved in the initial
development of curriculum for the
Centre are Sylvia Ayinde and Paul
Garneau, who have worked for the
College as contract instructors.
We look forward to the day when
this fully individualized curriculum
will be available to Douglas College
students who wish to build on their

studies within Douglas College,
by working simultaneously or
subsequently on the development

and planning of a business.

We also believe that this Centre
will be of substantial use to students
who complete programs in all sectors
of the College, and who wish to
do systematic work on the development
of self employment upon completion
of their college program.

D. INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION CENTRE
All of us have become much more
keenly aware of our dependence on
the international trade situation,
and the vulnerability of this province
to commodity markets. The brute
fact is that Canada has the highest
dependence on exports of all O.F.C.D.
Mations, and in fact, of all the
industrialized nations in the world.
We export approximately 30% of our
Gross National Product. British
Columbia has one of the most
vulnerable regional economies in
the country.

There is a virtual tidal wave of
consensus at this time, regarding
the need to develop and elaborate
overseas contacts - especially those
in the Pacific Rim, with economic
regeneration as being a primary
motivator.

We believe that this is a necessary
and sensible level of awareness.
Certainly, it has brought prosperity

 

 

and rising standards of living to
those Asian and European countries
that have practiced this level of
awareness, and made major investments
in human capital, in order to encourage
overseas trade.

Clearly, Douglas Colleges' basic nature
does not lend itself to so called
hi-tech activity, which commands’ so
much time and attention these days.
However, we have a generally liberal

orientation as an institution, that
is sympathetic to the concept of
international understanding; we have

a strong commitment to general academic
education and liberal education which
is shared by people in other countries;
we have an enviable standard of
instruction and competence in certain
areas of the Health and Social Services
that are under development in other
countries.

Most importantly, we are in need of
opportunities for personal broadening
of vision, new experiences, and
opportunities to gain perspective
on our own society and our own ways
of doing things.

These needs and opportunities have
been brought to a focus by simultaneous
opportunities to develop relationships
within institutions in Japan and Hong
Kong: offers of collaboration with
Malaspina College on English as a
Second Language and Cultural Fducation
projects; and the accumulated strength
of several years of successful community
travel education programs.

The College Board has enthusiastically
endorsed the development of a Centre
for International Education, in full
recognition of the fact that this
is not intended as a profit centre
enterprise for the College, but rather
one of educational development for
faculty, staff and students.