VIU Professor Awarded Connection Grant for Important Work in Northern Canada

Students benefit from funding and participate in polar tourism conference

Vancouver Island University (VIU) Professor Dr. Suzanne de la Barre has been awarded a $23,485 Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Connection grant in support of her work on the sixth International Polar Tourism Research Network (IPTRN) conference and community tour. De la Barre is a primary organizer of this major event, which will be held in Whitehorse and Dawson City, Yukon, from June 22- 28.

“I am so thankful for the grant,” said de la Barre. “Some of it will cover costs for students attending the conference. This provides a great learning opportunity for them, and helps solidify their aspirations in the industry and in tourism-related scholarship.”

About 35 per cent of attendees at the week-long opportunity for education and networking are undergraduate and graduate students from around the world who do research in polar tourism. Students from VIU will also be presenters at the Yukon IPTRN, and will fulfill conference delivery support roles.

“The bi-annual event provides a very good grounding in tourism from diverse academic disciplines, as well as industry and community perspectives,” said de la Barre. “It’s a great opportunity for students to learn and network, which makes it an invaluable experience.”

Connection grants are awarded for events and outreach activities that represent opportunities to exchange knowledge and engage on research issues of value to the participants and the communities in which they occur. The IPTRN is a significant pan polar research network. The sixth IPTRN conference will feature presentations and workshops and engage international academics, artists, students, community members, Yukon and other Indigenous peoples, and the public sector on topics such as: tourism and community related issues and concerns, economic diversification, the cultural and creative economies, climate change, and much more.      

“VIU has a rich research community,” said Nicole Vaugeois, Associate Vice President, Scholarship, Research and Creative Activity. “This connection grant is a great example of how our people are creating global relationships to bring the best knowledge available to our students, and are also among the premiere names creating that body of knowledge.”

In previous years, the IPTRN conference was held in Sweden, Iceland, New Zealand, Nunavik and Nunatsiavut (Canada).

Learn more about VIU’s Bachelor of Tourism Management and Master of Arts in Sustainable Leisure Management.

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MEDIA CONTACT:

Aly Winks, Communications Officer, Vancouver Island University

P: 250.740.6529 | C: 250.618.7930 | E: alyson.winks@viu.ca | T: @VIUNews