Articles tagged with: tourism

  • New agreement expands exchange opportunities in the Netherlands

    Brock University and NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences are working together to strengthen their global connections and create new international opportunities for students and faculty.

    The universities signed a Student Exchange Agreement on Friday, April 26 that is set to expand opportunities for student mobility and collaboration.

    “Exposing individuals to different perspectives, languages and cultures fosters tolerance, empathy and global citizenship, preparing graduates to thrive in a multicultural world,” said Brock University’s Vice-Provost and Associate Vice-President, Academic Brian Power during the signing ceremony.

    Representatives from NHL Stenden, including President Erica Schaper, Chairperson of the International Advisory Board Stephen Dunnett, Director of International Affairs Wayne Johnson and Study Abroad Co-ordinators Afke Bruinsma and Moniek Dijkema, toured Brock’s campus before the formal signing, deepening their understanding of how their students and faculty can collaborate with the Brock community.

    “We constantly seek opportunities and possibilities for our students to push their boundaries and further develop themselves,” said Johnson. “We believe this partnership with Brock University will create these moments and therefore we are excited to sign this exchange agreement and look forward to further developing our relationship to include many more possibilities.”

    International partnerships are facilitated through Brock International. For more information, please visit the Brock International website.


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  • Brock students win leadership competition

    A team of Brock University students took home first place during the Collegiate Leadership Competition’s (CLC) National Invitational last month.

    Brock students competed against other Ontario college and university teams at Wilfred Laurier University on Saturday, March 16.

    To prepare, the team spent months honing their ability to provide support and problem-solve while uncovering their unique leadership skills.

    “Everyone has the ability to be a leader in their own way. Anyone can be a leader because leadership is a process, not a position,” said Travis Greene (BA ‘19), Leadership Development Co-ordinator for Brock University’s Student Life and Success and the team’s coach.

    Greene and Assistant Coach Kanishka Wijesundara (BSc ‘23) worked with six students on Brock’s team:

    • Isabella Berardi, first-year Co-op Accounting
    • Aryan Debojyoti Purkayastha, third-year Sport Management
    • Kylor Huang, fourth-year Business Administration
    • Randa Joatar, third-year Medical Sciences
    • Ryan On, fourth-year Tourism Studies
    • Tochukwu Daniel Oguejiofo, second-year Medical Sciences

    Joatar said training for the CLC taught her valuable lessons in leadership.

    “It’s more than merely sharing a vision and delegating tasks. It’s about offering support, understanding the stresses of teammates and knowing when to act as the lead or support,” she said. “This experience was a great way to gain transferrable skills and make friends along the way.”

    Greene is hopeful the CLC win will inspire more people interested in getting involved across campus, whether that be with through Campus-Wide Co-Curriculum, volunteering or enrolling in one of the many training opportunities available to students and Brock employees.

    “The successes of these six students can be seen as a massive inspiration to all students at Brock,” says Greene. “This year’s team have acquired a wide arrange of skills, involvement and passions that any other student on campus can achieve themselves if they want to.”

    Following the national CLC success, Brock’s team went on to compete against schools across Canada and the United States in the CLC Global Championship online on Thursday, April 4 and Saturday, April 6. The team placed seventh and was one of only three teams to get a perfect score on the final activity of the competition.

    For more information about student leadership opportunities, visit Brock’s Student Life Success website.

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  • PHOTO GALLERY: Community gathers for Brock’s inaugural World Water Day Celebration

    The Rankin Family Pavilion Atrium saw a flood of interested students, staff, faculty members and community visitors on Friday, March 22 at Brock’s World Water Day Celebration.

    Hosted by Brock’s Water Resilience Lab and Department of Geography and Tourism Studies, the inaugural event featured a research showcase, educational exhibits, artistic displays, interactive stations — including a bottled water versus tap water taste-testing station courtesy of Niagara Region ­— and community organization booths with job and volunteer opportunities as well as valuable information about the many ways that water affects the Niagara region.

    View the photo gallery here

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  • Community invited to Brock’s World Water Day celebration

    THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 2024 | by  | From The Brock News

    Water — and all that it means to the world — will be celebrated at an upcoming community event hosted by Brock University.

    Brock’s Water Resilience Lab and Department of Geography and Tourism Studies will host the inaugural World Water Day Celebration on Friday, March 22 to showcase the many ways people study, appreciate and engage with water at the University and across the Niagara region.

    The free public event, funded in part by the Council for Research in the Social Sciences, brings to life a long-term goal of Julia Baird, Canada Research Chair in Human Dimensions of Water Resources and Water Resilience.

    “Water touches so many aspects of our lives — what we learn and the research that happens at Brock, as well as issues of water management, water conservation and the well-being of our community and ecosystems in the broader Niagara community,” says the Associate Professor in the Environmental Sustainability Research Centre and the Department of Geography and Tourism Studies.

    Baird has worked closely with Samantha Morris, Academic Advisor and Communications Co-ordinator in Geography and Tourism Studies, and graduate student volunteer Hannah Marlen Lübker to bring together the community to share the myriad of ways that water is important.

    The World Water Day Celebration will open at 10 a.m. in the Rankin Family Pavilion on Brock’s main campus. Students can learn about the many water-related courses on offer and the community can discover some of the dynamic water research being undertaken at Brock.

    Between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., attendees can peruse water-themed informational and research posters from graduate and undergraduate students, an array of artistic submissions, featured course highlights or displays that combine all of these features, such as a PhotoVoice exhibit from one of Baird’s courses and the VISA 2P90 exhibit currently on display in the Matheson Learning Commons and Thistle display cases on  “Women, Water, and Words: An Exploration of Visual Culture in Niagara.”

    The James A. Gibson Library has also curated a featured collection of print and e-books entitled “Exploring Deep Waters” to highlight ways to learn more about water.

    From 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., interactive booths will open featuring Brock researchers and community groups and organizations, including the following:

    • Niagara Region
    • Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority
    • Niagara Parks Commission
    • Niagara Geopark
    • Soaring Eagles Indigenous Elementary School
    • Brock’s Department of Geography and Tourism Studies
    • Water Resilience Lab

    Researchers will share their projects and community organizations will highlight their work as well as volunteer and student job opportunities that may be available. Visitors present during the interactive portion of the day can enter a prize draw, which includes a $50 gift card for Someday Books. The draw will take place at 1:30 p.m.

    All members of the Brock and wider communities are invited to drop in and enjoy this all-encompassing tribute to water.

    Reposted from The Brock News

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  • New summer course to explore anime tourism

    By | Reposted from the Brock News

    Colourful signs and billboards in Akihabara, Tokyo, Japan, show anime characters.

    Learn about how anime fans who flock to locations in Japan to celebrate their favourite films and characters are shaping a new form of tourism in TOUR 2P98 this summer.

    A new Brock course taking place this summer will dive into the phenomenon of tourism driven by anime fandom.

    “Anime Tourism,” offered asynchronously online by the Department of Geography and Tourism Studies as TOUR 2P98 in the Summer 2024 session, is open to students with five or more credits. No knowledge of Japanese language is required. Registration for the Spring and Summer Terms is now open.

    The course will examine anime culture, the development of anime tourism destinations and the impact of anime tourism. It will also explore the geography, history, culture and mythology of Japan.

    bronze statue of three Attack on Titan anime characters in Hita, Japan

    Professor of Geography and Tourism Studies Atsuko Hashimoto photographed this statue of characters from Attack on Titan in Hita, Japan.

    “I am interested in how anime tourism is contributing to the development or rejuvenation of communities,” says Professor of Geography and Tourism Studies Atsuko Hashimoto, who also plans to offer the course in the Fall/Winter session. “There are certain anime films which have specific towns or specific locations — the shrine, the forest or the part of the townscape — that are so precisely drawn that many people can actually identify the location and want to visit it.”

    Her research explores the trend of anime fans seeking out the physical locations of animated settings and travelling there to mimic favourite characters and take photos for social media, which she compares to similar pastimes like geocaching.

    Hashimoto says that when fans decide to travel to locations from their favourite anime, there can be both positive and negative social and economic effects, and the course will explore all of these dimensions.

    As an example, she points out that while much of the current anime tourism phenomenon is driven by Japanese fans, international visitors descending on a location that is unprepared to receive them with accommodation or translators can create problems.

    However, the economic benefits of anime tourism are motivating many local governments to devote resources — from new special divisions of government to YouTube channels showcasing towns — to attracting filmmakers and creating even more interest in their locations.

    “We can already see how the Japanese Government, local tourism marketing offices, businesses and even local people are taking advantage of this anime tourism phenomenon, even trying to be featured in anime films,” she says.

    Hashimoto says she is looking forward to discussing favourite anime examples with students and exploring how fans can help build a sustainable and responsible tourist industry around anime.

    Together with Professor of Geography and Tourism Studies David Telfer, Hashimoto recently presented a paper on anime tourism entitled “Fictive Places in the Real World: Anime Film Tourism and Regional Development in Japan” at the International Conference on Literary and Film Tourism in Barcelona, Spain. She will soon speak at an event hosted by the Department of East Asian Studies at the University of Toronto on the cultural significance of anime as a lead-in to a screening of the 2022 film Suzume (Suzume no Tojimari).

    Story reposted from the Brock News

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  • Seed exchange brings spring to campus

    Plant and gardening enthusiasts got a head start on spring at the Department of Geography and Tourism Studies’ third annual seed and plant exchange. Members of the Brock community perused a variety of fruit, vegetable, herb and flower seeds to take home on Wednesday, Feb. 28. Student Affairs Case Coordinator Keely Burger (left) and Associate Director of Student Affairs Darryl Veld (right) chose to brighten their office spaces with some of the household plants and cuttings available at the event. Five volunteers and representatives from the Brock University Seed Library were on site providing advice and additional resources during the exchange. More photos can be viewed on the Geography and Tourism Studies FacebookX and Instagram accounts.

    Story reposted from The Brock News.

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  • CRC Spotlight: Brock researcher examining ways to foster water resilience


    The federal government’s 
    Canada Research Chairs program invests up to $311 million per year to attract and retain some of the world’s most accomplished and promising minds. Chairholders are recognized to be national and international experts in the fields of engineering and the natural sciences, health sciences, humanities and social sciences. Brock University has 10 active Canada Research Chairs, with more to be announced. This monthly series profiles the work, and lives, of Brock’s Chairholders.

    When she wants to take a break in her busy schedule, Julia Baird heads out to a lake or river.

    “I’ve always found water to be a source of calm in my life,” says the Associate Professor in Brock’s Environmental Sustainability Research Centre (ESRC) and the Department of Geography and Tourism.

    “Water is critical to life; it’s inherent in us that we’re connected to water,” she says. “I think of the well-being of future generations and how important it is to support sustainability.”

    As Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Human Dimensions of Water Resources and Water Resilience, Baird investigates activities that have an impact on water. She studies how decisions regarding water use are made at the government, community and individual levels through her Water Resilience Lab.

    “The diversity of voices, and how those voices are included and connected, is critical for creating the right conditions for water sustainability,” she says.

    Central to her work is the concept of water resilience, which Baird says involves “being able to continue to support the well-being of the system despite whatever disturbances may arise.”

    Baird says there are three ways to respond to disturbances in the environment, such as floods or droughts brought about by climate change: persist where possible in spite of disturbances, adapt to situation or transform the way society operates to mitigate or avoid disastrous impacts.

    Ideally, decision-making processes related to water, as well as related areas such as land-use planning, agricultural operations, coastline protection and erosion control, are guided by water resilience principles and practices.

    Baird has long been fascinated by how people make decisions and how individuals influence decisions carried out at the political level. Her research looks at how psychological traits, such as empathy and self-efficacy at the individual level, can motivate the public to support decisions that lead to water sustainability.

    Empathy is associated with attitudes that reflect stronger support for resilience-based approaches for the environment.

    In a study led by Baird, participants in six countries who read three scenarios describing situations of flooding, drought and depleted fish stocks gave moderate to strong support for governance taking a resilience-based approach.

    “We know that empathy is malleable, it can change in people,” says Baird. “The question is, how can we build empathy broadly so that the public will influence changes that can have positive impacts down the line?”

    Baird earned her PhD in Environment and Sustainability from the University of Saskatchewan in 2012 and came to Brock as a post-doctoral fellow. She became Associate Professor in the ESRC and the Department of Geography and Tourism Studies in 2021.

    In that same year, Baird was granted her Canada Research Chair position, which was renewed in 2022.

    Baird has had a number of accomplishments during her terms, including:

    In her second term, Baird plans to test interventions to build empathy broadly in society and examine the long-term impacts of empathy interventions on behaviour.

    “Ultimately, our work is centered on finding solutions to some of today’s most pressing water issues,” says Baird. “I’m motivated by that every day.”

    Story reposted from The Brock News

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  • Brock displays sculpture by renowned Indigenous architect

    The Brock Library’s Makerspace is the temporary home of a bronze sculpture created by renowned Indigenous architect Douglas Cardinal. Sunflame will take its place as the centrepiece of the First Nations Peace Monument at Decew House Heritage Park in Thorold in the spring.

    A bronze globe sculpture sits at the centre of the two distinctive curvilinear walls that make up the First Nations Peace Monument.

    The Sunflame bronze sculpture as it will look when permanently installed as the centrepiece of the First Nations Peace Monument at Decew House Heritage Park in Thorold in the spring of 2024.

    The monument, located just minutes from Brock’s main campus, honours and acknowledges the significant contributions of First Nations people in the building of Canada.

    “Though the First Nations Peace Monument is small in size and tucked away in a secluded park setting in Thorold, it has enormous national significance,” says Associate Professor of Geography and Tourism Studies David Brown, who played a major role in the monument project.

    “It’s dedicated to the proposition that the commonalities and shared experiences that bind us together as allies today must become much stronger than our historic differences.”

    Brock partnered with the non-profit community group Friends of Laura Secord to display Sunflame so the community can enjoy the sculpture before it moves to its permanent location.

    The glass-walled Makerspace, located in the busy Rankin Family Pavilion, is an ideal venue to prominently display the sculpture.

    “The Makerspace is honoured to be the temporary home of the Sunflame sculpture,” says Makerspace Supervisor Derek Schneider. “We hope to educate the Brock community on all things pertaining to ‘making’ while paying homage to our rich Indigenous community and heritage.”

    Cardinal’s signature designs draw inspiration from the organic forms of the natural world, and he uses technology, similar to the 3D rendering and printing tools available in the Makerspace, to translate them into distinctive architectural and sculptural works.

    Some of his works include the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau, Que., TELUS World of Science in Edmonton, Alta., and the National Museum of the American Indian on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

    For more information about the monument, scan the QR code at the Sunflame display, download the GuideTags digital interpretive app. Brock’s display includes information brochures and closed-captioned videos about Niagara history as well as points of interest along the Laura Secord Legacy Trail and the Niagara Indigenous Heritage Trail.

    To learn more about technology and workshops offered to the Brock and wider community, visit the Makerspace website.

    Story reposted from The Brock News.

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  • Applications open for Walt Disney World Resort internship

    For the first time since 2019, Brock students have a chance to complete courses at the University of Florida and a paid internship at Walt Disney World Resort starting this spring — but the application deadline is coming soon.

    The University of Florida/Walt Disney World Resort Internship is open to all Brock students over the age of 18 who have 10 credits and a 75 per cent overall average, with preference given to majors in Tourism Studies.

    Students who are accepted to the program will complete two online courses delivered by the University of Florida starting in May.

    Then, in August, successful applicants will begin a third course and their paid internship at Walt Disney World Resort, which will run until December.

    In total, students earn the equivalent of 2.5 Brock credits. The internship may also qualify as a co-op work term.

    The program, which had been suspended due to public health restrictions on travel since 2020, provides an opportunity for students to see the inner workings of one of the world’s most popular tourism destinations.

    Christina Bosilo, Director of Brock International, says the partnership provides students with the opportunity to gain academic credit and valuable work and training experience.

    “The benefits of participating in a study abroad experience help to prepare graduates, professionally and personally, for future opportunities post-graduation, and this particular opportunity is limited to only a handful of post-secondary institutions within Canada,” she says. “Any Brock student with an interest in learning more about tourism, hospitality and marketing from industry experts will find this to be a valuable experience.”

    Professor David Fennell in the Department of Geography and Tourism Studies agrees, noting that one of the program’s best features is the way students can match University of Florida courses in topics such as Lodging Operations and Management or Theme Park and Attraction Management with two different internship options at Disney.

    “The Disney Internship provides students with an opportunity to work in one of the world’s most impressive companies, with both formal and informal management and leadership training as an important addition to what students need to compete for jobs in the future,” he says. “Furthermore, the opportunity to work and learn alongside students from Brock and other institutions in Canada, along with international students, provides a great platform from which to build relationships and contacts.”

    Interested students are invited to learn more about the details of the program on the Brock International websiteApplications are due on Friday, Jan. 13.

    STORY REPOSTED FROM THE BROCK NEWS

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  • David Telfer and Sharon Janzen recognized for 25 years of service to the University

    The Department of Geography and Tourism Studies would like to congratulate Dr. David Telfer (Geography and Tourism Studies Professor) and Sharon Janzen (GeoTour alumna) on being recognized for their 25 years of service to Brock University!

    We are so grateful for their years of dedication, friendship, and invaluable contributions to our Department and the University. Our Department certainly would not be the same without them.

    President Lesley Rigg presents Sharon Janzen, Map Library Associate/Geospatial Data Co-ordinator, with a gift in celebration of her induction into the Quarter Century Club.

    President Lesley Rigg presents David Telfer, Professor, Geography and Tourism Studies, with a gift in celebration of his induction into the Quarter Century Club.

    Exceptional employees, longstanding service honoured at Brock President’s Celebration

    The outstanding efforts of Brock University staff, faculty and librarians were recognized at a reception Tuesday, Dec. 13.

    Hundreds of employees gathered in Market Hall for the annual President’s Celebration, which featured the announcement of staff service award recipients and the celebration of employees who have reached 25- and 35-year milestones in their service to the University.

    Among the awards distributed by President Lesley Rigg was the Brock University Outstanding Team Service Award, which recognizes a team that has made an outstanding contribution throughout the year, beyond what is normally expected.

    Brock Central was selected as the 2022 recipient, recognized for its high-quality customer service approach to offering student and alumni information in an accurate, timely and confidential manner, while adhering to high standards of excellence.

    In offering a few words to describe the team, Associate Vice-President of Human Resources Jennifer Guarasci said members of Brock Central “continually strive to enhance the customer service experience by demonstrating compassion, diplomacy, understanding and tact by actively listening and responding to the needs of our students.”

    Geraldine Jones, Registrar and Associate Vice-President Enrolment Services, said she feels privileged to work with a committed group of people who illustrate Brock’s values and mission.

    “They are a team of individuals who, on a daily basis in quiet and humble ways, make students’ lives better,” she said. “They are the epitome of a team because they support one another and the institution.”

    Along with the team award, individual staff service awards were announced during the online event, and employees celebrating 25- and 35-year service milestones were acknowledged for their commitment to the University.

    Rigg congratulated all service award winners and nominees, and remarked she was honoured to be celebrating with a spirited and hard-working employee community.

    “This campus has energy and enthusiasm, and it’s in large part due to the wonderful team working here and everything you do,” she said. “We are all extremely lucky to have each other to work with and to have such dedicated staff members.”

    Rigg also commented on how greatly the University benefits from the experience of longstanding staff members.

    “They are time travellers — the ones who make sure we don’t repeat the same mistakes but also repeat those things that have been great,” she said. “They are our guidance, our mentors and the ones who pave the path for our future.”

    Human Resources Distinguished Staff Service Award for Leadership 

    Kelly Lipovsky, Customer Service Co-ordinator with Facilities Management, is the 2022 recipient of the Human Resources Distinguished Staff Service Award for Leadership. The award is presented to one staff member who has a proven record of leading and working collaboratively, engaging fellow employees, furthering the development of a respectful work and learning environment and culture, and building strong relationships and partnerships that enable the University to implement its strategic plan and related initiatives effectively. Recipients receive a certificate of recognition and a $500 cash award.

    Rigg said Lipovsky was recognized in part for her charismatic leadership qualities and ability to collaborate well with colleagues from across the University.

    “Her ability to connect with others and to help bring out the best in each person on her team is truly inspiring,” said Guarasci, when reading comments from nominators.

    President’s Distinguished Staff Service Awards for Outstanding Contributions 

    The President’s Distinguished Staff Service Award for Outstanding Contributions recognizes individual ongoing staff members who have demonstrated exemplary service or made a significant contribution to the working environment at Brock at a level significantly beyond normal expectations. Recipients receive a certificate of recognition and a $500 cash award. The 2022 recipients are:

    • Drew Cullen, Manager, District Energy, Asset Management and Utilities
      Cullen was recognized for his efforts in leading the conceptualization and development of sustainability challenges across the University to encourage the campus community to adopt everyday sustainable actions.
    • Rick Manning, Groundskeeper, Facilities Grounds Services
      Manning was recognized for his positive and welcoming attitude and his ongoing dedication to providing exceptional service, including taking on additional tasks to ensure the campus is accessible and safe, especially in winter months.
    • Debbie Ouellette, Administrative Co-ordinator and Graduate Advisor, Sociology
      Ouellette was recognized for her professional, steady and student-centred approach to her work as well as her respectful, kind and supportive interactions with colleagues and students.
    • Barbara Tatarnic, Manager, Continuing Education and Outreach, Cool Climate Oenology and Viticulture Institute (CCOVI)
      Tatarnic was recognized for her longstanding efforts in leading CCOVI’s community engagement, outreach, and professional and continuing studies, which has helped to position CCOVI as a world-class research and education institute in the grape and wine, beverage alcohol and hospitality industries.

    Brock University Outstanding Team Service Award 

    The Brock Central Team is the 2022 recipient of the Brock University Outstanding Team Service Award, which recognizes a team of faculty and/or staff members who have made an outstanding contribution throughout the year beyond what is normally expected. The recipient teams are awarded lunch with the President and a trophy engraved with the team name to be displayed until it is passed on to the following year’s recipient(s).

    Quarter Century Club  

    Ten employees were inducted into the Quarter Century Club, joining 277 others who have worked at Brock for 25 years:

    • Sheila Bennett, Professor, Educational Studies
    • Lilly Biamonte, Senior Business Systems Analyst, Enterprise Solutions
    • Marian Bredin, Professor, Communications, Popular Culture and Film
    • Anthony Bogaert, Professor, Health Sciences
    • Roman Cierny, Network Supervisor, IT Infrastructure
    • Sharon Janzen, Map Library Associate/Geospatial Data Co-ordinator, Map, Data and GIS Library
    • Marie Reimer, Special Projects and Operations Co-ordinator, Ancillary Services
    • Caroline Romero, Administrative Assistant, Earth Sciences
    • Anamitra Shome, Associate Professor, Accounting
    • David Telfer, Professor, Geography and Tourism Studies

    35 years of long-standing service  

    Seven people were recognized for 35 years of service at Brock:

    • Ian Adamson, Associate Professor, Accounting
    • Rick Currie, Electrician, Facilities Electrical
    • Robert Dimand, Professor, Economics
    • Dorothy Levay, Instructor/ Manager, Academic Support, Mathematics and Statistics
    • Rob Witte, Locksmith, Facilities Carpentry
    • Kimberley Pelchat, Manager, Instructional Resource Centre, Education
    • Edith Williams, Special Collections and Archives Assistant, Archives and Special Collections

    STORY REPOSTED FROM THE BROCK NEWS

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