Kenneth Joseph, President of Twinning Association, Port of Spain; Murchison Brown, Mayor of Port of Spain; George Maxwell Richards, President of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago; Sean Kennedy, Vice-President, Student and External Relations, Niagara College; Kim Meade, Vice-Provost, Associate Vice-President, Brock University

A Brock University and Niagara College delegation visited Trinidad and Tobago in March to drum up interest in studying in Niagara and strengthen ties between the region and the Caribbean nation.

Kim Meade, Vice-Provost and Associate Vice-President Student Services at Brock, and Sean Kennedy, Vice-President, Student and External Relations at Niagara College, met with politicians and prospective students during the four-day trip to Trinidad. During the week of March 14, they attended a Study in Niagara reception for students interested in attending Brock and Niagara College. It was also attended by the families of students, and by alumni who have studied in Niagara.

Meade and Kennedy also conducted media interviews, visited a Trinidad high school teaching Ontario curriculum and attended a reception for the Port of Spain Twinning Association. The country’s capital city, Port of Spain, is twinned with St. Catharines, Ont.

An annual Twinning Association scholarship provides an opportunity for one student per year from Trinidad and Tobago to attend Brock University. Two twinning scholarship students attend Brock now, with a third coming in September, said Meade.

“The key message for us (on the trip) was that Niagara is a safe, friendly and welcoming environment for students from Trinidad,” she said. “There’s a strong interest and commitment on behalf of both institutions to enhance our internationalization opportunities and increase international student enrolment.”

“The visit met a number of objectives for both Niagara College and Brock University,” said Kennedy. “It was a great demonstration of the effectiveness and additional impact of having Niagara’s two post-secondary institutions work in partnership to promote Niagara as a world-class destination in which to study, work and live.”

While on the trip, Meade and Kennedy met with Trinidad and Tobago President George Maxwell Richards, Port of Spain Mayor Murchison Brown and Karen L. McDonald, Canada High Commissioner to Trinidad and Tobago.