UC Community Engagement hub and the visit from Florida students

Since its founding in 1873, the University of Canterbury has been a significant contributor to the cultural, economic, and intellectual life of Christchurch, New Zealand, and the world. This was especially evident  following the devastating earthquakes of 2010 and 2011 when over 9,000 students provided vital assistance throughout the city in the form of the Student Volunteer Army. They exemplified our vision of tangata tu tangata ora, people prepared to make a difference.

Following the earthquakes, UC staff and students collectively determined that the SVA ethos should become a formal part of the University’s future direction. This aligns with the need that essential services in New Zealand (firefighters, jurors, school boards of trustees, surf lifesavers, etc.) have for the next generation to be as generous with their time as previous ones. As a result, UC’s new Graduate Profile has four attributes that all students will have along with their degrees: bi-cultural competence, community engagement, global awareness, and innovation.

Billy will be speaking to us about the visit this year of a number of students from Florida USA