Nunavut Teacher Education Program welcomes Foreign Affairs and International Trade
Written by Brian Manning, Nunavut Teacher Education Program
Photo (left to right): Brian Manning, Director of Education Programs at Nunavut Arctic College joins Judith Paradis Pastori (Director: Certificate & Diploma Programs); Peesee Pitsiulak Stevens (Dean, Nunatta Campus); Donald Bobiash (Director General, Foreign Affairs Canada); Sunday Thomas (Director: Student Services); and Neil Christopher (NTEP Educational Media/Social Sciences).
Brian Manning
Today we received a visit from Mr. Donald Bobiash. He is currently Director-General for Africa at Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada.
He recently served as Deputy Head of Mission in the Canadian Embassy in Tokyo, Japan. From August 2004 until August 2006 he was Canadian High Commissioner to Ghana and Ambassador to Togo.
Mr. Bobiash grew up on a farm near Zelma, Saskatchewan. He has a doctorate in International Relations from Oxford University, where he was a Rhodes Scholar, and holds a Master’s in Industrial Relations and Personnel Management from the London School of Economics, where he was a Commonwealth Scholar.
He has also studied at the University of Saskatchewan, Laval University, and l’École Nationale d’Administration in Dakar, Senegal. Macmillan of London has published his book, South-South Aid: How Developing Countries Help Each Other.
Mr. Bobiash is also the Champion for Aboriginal Peoples at Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada. In this role, his objectives are to:
- Increase the recruitment and retention of Aboriginal staff at DFAIT
- Raise the profile of Aboriginal contributions and issues within the Department
- Promote international opportunities for Aboriginal business.
Mr. Bobiash is visiting Nunavut to better understand the opportunities and challenges of the region, speak with stakeholders about DFAITs mandate and how it is relevant to them, and better understand how DFAIT can play a supportive role to organizations in Nunavut.
We thank him and his staff for the visit and for providing us the opportunity to share the many positive initiatives that Nunavut Arctic College has developed to address the needs of all Nunavummiut.
