Beyond the Pursuit of Academic Excellence
February 28, 2015
Nestled in a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, Brock University, an hour south of Toronto and twenty minutes west of the US border, is home to education and research excellence for Canadian and international students for fifty years.
The university’s international focus grew even stronger in 2012 when Brock renewed its commitment to Brazil through a visit by Canadian university presidents to strengthen research collaborations and make Canadian campuses a priority destination for Brazilian students.
“I have been involved with our Brock-Brazil relationship for over five years and can firmly say Brazil is a strategic priority for us an as institution,” said Brock University Director and International Liaison Officer, Sheila Young.
The Brock-Brazil partnership has quickly gained momentum. Weeks after its Brazil mission, Brock opened the Cairns Family Health and Bioscience Research Complex. Canadian and Brazilian scientists and students utilize this complex for important research funded by prestigious international organizations such as the National Geographic Society.
Brock has also become an active participant in the Science without Borders program, welcoming 185 undergraduate students since 2012. Brazilian students have built ties with Brock’s community and industry partners, and gained valuable experience through extra-curricular activities and internship placements with globally-recognized companies like Globestar Systems, Norgen Biotek, Sheraton Hotels, and Unilever.
Brock University and Brazil are engaged in successful cross-discipline collaboration, including the humanities, social sciences and teacher education. Brock’s first-ever exchange student is now studying at its partner UNICAMP. Many Brazilian researchers join Brock’s community as Visiting International Scholars. This term a doctoral researcher from the Federal University of Para is collaborating with researchers in the Faculty of Education’s Centre for Multiliteracies.
Brock’s ESL services have offered English courses to students from around the world since 1982. The offerings span from intensive academic and graduate studies preparation to short-term summer courses or professional programs. Academic activities include visits to Toronto, wine tours, and trips to Niagara Falls.
A similar vision extends to Brock’s Goodman School of Business. Standing for academic excellence, Goodman is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), a prestigious accreditation only the top five percent of business schools hold worldwide. Students in Goodman’s undergraduate and graduate programs, including an MBA designed specifically for international students, can take advantage of our co-op, service-learning and international exchange opportunities.
Similarly, with passionate faculty advisors, Brock’s Faculty of Graduate Studies cultivates an innovative learning experience, emphasizing engagement in research, scholarships, and professional development.
Further distinguishing itself, Brock University offers Canada’s unique Cool Climate Oenology and Viticulture program. CCOVI is an internationally recognized institute focused on Canada’s grape and wine industry where researchers work with local grape growers and winemakers to solve problems and cultivate best practice in the wine and ice-wine industry.
In 2015, Brock’s Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts will move into a beautifully-restored heritage site in the heart of the city of St. Catharines. The school will house modern teaching and performance space for its students including a theatre, costume and scenography design space, dramatic arts, digital media and musical studios.
“Brock’s approach to building a comprehensive educational experience through focused partnerships and research collaborations clearly sets it apart,” said Brock University President Jack Lightstone. “Our goal is to support our existing partners and generate industry interest in deepening those partnerships.”
With this mindset, Brock provides rigorous interdisciplinary undergraduate, graduate and doctoral programs, incorporating practical research and experiential learning opportunities, that help students build careers and get jobs.
