Media Release

For Immediate Release

May 7, 2008

Russians visit Saint Mary's to plan new business school in Siberia

A delegation from Russia is visiting Saint Mary’s University this week to gather information about how to establish a business school in Siberia for the indiginous peoples of the North.

The five-member delegation is from the Khanty-Мansiysk Autonomous Region in Russia and they’re in Halifax from May 5 to 12 to learn about how Canadians train specialists in small and medium-sized enterprises.

They plan to establish a business school at Yugra State University to train indigenous peoples and help support business development enterprises connected with traditional trades and culture of Northern peoples.

During their stay, the delegation will meet with faculty and staff of Saint Mary’s University Sobey School of Business, Business Development Centre, Public Affairs, Office of Aboriginal & Northern Research, International Activities Office and Student Services. The group will also tour the Millbrook First Nations site in Truro and hold a meeting with staff of Indian and Northern Affairs Canada.

The visit is being made under the umbrella of the Canada-Russia Northern Development Partnership Program (NORDEP), a four-year program funded by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) with counterpart funding from the Russian partners and managed by the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC).

Yugra State University was founded in 2001 by the Russian federation government in western Siberia. It has an enrollment of nearly 5,000 students and is located in the city of Khanty-Mansiysk, a centre with a population of 10,000 that is expected to double within the next 10 years.

-30-

For more information:

Blake Patterson
Public Affairs Officer
Saint Mary's University, Public Affairs
(902) 420.5514
E-mail: blake.patterson@smu.ca
www.smu.ca