NEWS RELEASE
NIAGARA COLLEGE
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Niagara College’s excellence in applied research and innovation has been recognized on the world stage.
On Sept. 25, the College received a silver award in the category of Applied Research and Innovation by the World Federation of Colleges and Polytechnics (WFCP)’s Awards of Excellence.
Presented at its World Congress in Montego Bay, Jamaica, WFCP’s 2024 Awards of Excellence recognize WFCP member institutions and celebrate their contributions to excellence in the global technical and vocational education and training (TVET) sector, skills development and the wider economic and social development.
The Applied Research and Innovation Award Category honours an institution or institutional association that has demonstrated excellence in addressing real-world challenges through applied research. The award has three levels of accomplishment: gold, silver, and bronze.
“Niagara College was presented with the Applied Research and Innovation Award of Excellence due to its commitment to industry-driven research and innovation,” said the WFCP Secretariat on behalf of WFCP. “Our judges found that the college’s Research & Innovation Division has made proven contributions to workforce and economic development, and that its global partnerships and capacity-building initiatives have empowered local communities and supported sustainable development.”
“This prestigious award reinforces our strong commitment to prioritizing Research and Innovation, by not only delivering impactful real-world solutions for businesses but also creating extraordinary experiential learning opportunities for our students,” said Niagara College's vice-president, international, Sean Coote. “The recognition by the WFCP reflects our dedication to excellence and adds to our standing as Canada’s number one college for research funding, as highlighted in the national study 'Canada’s Top 50 Research Colleges,' in which we have consistently ranked among the top 10 for nearly a decade.”
This award acknowledges the successful partnership between Niagara College’ Research and Innovation division and Niagara College’s Institute for Global Education & Training to deliver customized training, along with strategic planning and management consulting services to global partners in the post-secondary education sector.
“The Research and Innovation division at Niagara College is honoured to receive this award, as it validates our place on a global stage as a leader in applied research. We are committed to keep pushing the boundaries of best practices for applied research for years to come,” said NC’s Vice-President, Research, Innovation & Strategic Enterprises, Marc Nantel, PhD. “We use our excellence and expertise in applied-research administration to train other higher-education institutions on how best to set up their research departments, and we plan to continue to expand our programs through NC’s Institute for Global Education and Training.”
In particular, this award celebrates capacity-building trainings delivered by Niagara College in Latin America, which reached over 112 students and 246 faculty and leadership at seven higher education institutions and supported the establishment of three Applied Research Centres. Transformative projects initiated by these Centres are improving the lives of over 800,000 individuals in the region.
The initiative was inspired by partnerships within the Pacific Alliance (PA) Program, an investment focusing on sustainable development and skills for employment in Latin America, managed by Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan) and funded through Global Affairs Canada.
Learn more about NC's participation on the WFCP Congress.
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