His Excellency discusses culture, climate change and equality during his visit to the campus
March 21, 2022, Dubai, UAE: The Governor General of Canada, Her Excellency the Honorable Mary Simon has paid an official visit to the Canadian University of Dubai (CUD).
As part of a working trip to the Middle East. Speaking to faculty, students and members of the Canadian community in the UAE, His Highness shared his insights on a range of topics including Inuit culture, climate change and gender equality.
Accompanied by her husband, His Excellency Mr. Whit Fraser, the Governor-General was received by the President and Vice-Chancellor of CUD, Prof. Karim Chelly. The tour began with a tour of the university’s new, state-of-the-art campus at the Dubai City Walk, led by members of the CUD leadership team.
Welcoming His Excellencies to the University, Mr Buti Saeed Al Ghandi, CUD Chancellor, commented, “Our ambition at CUD is to develop and strengthen our international network to help us make an ever-increasing contribution to building the regional knowledge economy. remains, and it is with great pride that we do so in the name of both the UAE and Canada.”
The Governor General began his address at Inuktitut with a greeting, sharing information about his Inuit upbringing and the importance of accepting and understanding its history. Reflecting on his visit to the region, he spoke of the need for international cooperation to build a successful future for the world, saying, “The UAE strives for new opportunities and innovations, and for that, Canada An ideal partner.”
This was followed by a Q&A session, moderated by Associate Professor, Dr. Louise Lambert, where the audience took the opportunity to ask Her Majesty about current issues, from action on climate change to the preservation of language.
The interactive session concluded with Angela Raj, a CUD student and Canadian Business Council Dubai intern, thanking Her Excellency for their generous participation, saying, “This cultural meeting we experienced today is sure to leave a lasting impact on all of us. , students and faculty alike. Each of us will be able to take home something from Her Majesty’s powerful and important visit.”
During the event, Her Majesty visited the exhibition, ‘Inuit Koujimajatukangit: Art, Architecture, and Traditional Wisdom’, which is staged by McGill University and currently installed in CUD’s Hub Building Incubator Zone.
As part of the visit, students of the University’s Bachelor of Communications in Journalism program were also given a unique opportunity to engage with His Excellency Mr. Fraser, a renowned author and storyteller. During the session, Her Majesty discussed her extensive journalism career, during which she reported from all four corners of Canada, and then answered students’ questions about the journalism industry’s future challenges.
CUD’s visit was part of an official visit to the region, in which His Highness meets with heads of state and senior leaders of the United Arab Emirates and other GCC countries.
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About Canadian University Dubai
Canadian University Dubai, established in 2006, is a higher educational institution located in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE). Ranked in the top 2% of universities worldwide and the top 4 in the United Arab Emirates according to the QS World University Rankings 2022, CUD Canada offers a wide range of academic programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels, based on curriculum, and entrance Serves as a way for students to pursue higher education, research and employment opportunities in Canada.
