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Current Research
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University College of the North (UCN) - General Overview
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UCN is poised to be a leader in post-secondary education in Indigenous
and northern areas by virtue of its location within and
proximity to the spectrum of traditional territories of First Nations
communities of northern Manitoba, and to the remote and
fragile lands of the boreal forest and tundra ecosystems. As a
developing post-secondary institution, having sufficient capacity
with respect to connectivity is essential in attracting
academic researchers, professors and technical staff to UCN.
This connectivity is taken for granted at institutions in southern
Canada. Access to MRnet will provide UCN with the necessary
infrastructure to support cutting edge teaching, research and development
opportunities, and to create partnerships and
connections with others. |
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CUCN serves more than 14 communities across Northern Manitoba
through two campuses, twelve regional centres and several
remote teaching sites. Improved communication links will
vastly advance research and educational opportunities for Aboriginal
and northern peoples. Synchronous and asynchronous
teaching in partnership with the University of Manitoba will
be possible in the areas of:
• nursing (enhancements to delivery of Joint Baccalaureate
in Nursing)
• medical (Midwifery) (Satellite Medical and Dental
schools proposed start September 2020)
• dental studies (proposed program in Diploma of Dental
Hygiene beginning September 2012)
• education (Masters in Education)
• Learning Technologies and Academic Development
As UCN increases its capacity with respect to academic programming
and research, it is increasingly being looked to as an
integral partner in northern and Indigenous research. UCN has
been approached by provincial, national, and international partners.
The list of potential and realized research projects includes
such diverse topics as mineralogy of northern ore bodies, timber
wolf ecology, global climate modeling and carbon flux in the
boreal forest, potable water treatment in northern commun
ties, studies of the aurora displays, and others. UCN has
been able to entertain some of these projects, but not all.
Increasing the connectivity to UCN’s two campuses is the
necessary first step to improve access to the communities
served by UCN and the partners. This would transform
some of these into cost effective and feasible projects as a
result of:
• improved communications (such as highdefinition
videoconferencing between partners)
• access to high-tech equipment housed in distant laboratories
• multi-directional flow of information and data between
partners
• bi-directional flow of training and education
Mining and mineral exploration in northern Manitoba are
integral parts of the provincial economy as well as critical
components forming part of the fabric of northern communities.
Investigating questions regarding the geology and
mineralogy of northern ore bodies will be made easier via a
light path to the Geological Department of the Clayton H.
Riddell Faculty of Environment, Earth and Resources at the
University of Manitoba. The department has laboratories
equipped with sophisticated equipment including scanning
electron microprobes, secondary ion mass spectrometers,
and other necessary diagnostic tools. A partnership with
Canadian Light Source in Saskatoon is also a possibility.
Partnerships, related to the boreal forest and global climate
change research, are also being proposed. UCN has been
approached as a potential partner in leading edge research
regarding the interactive affects of water cycling on the
carbon balance within boreal-forested regions. Researchers
from several American universities are seeking
to establish research sites in the boreal forest near Thompson.
As a university entirely situated within the boreal forest,
UCN is encouraging these types of partnerships and
seeking to be recognized as the location that can expedite
this kind of research. |
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