Local and Global Engagement

UBC is locally integrated and globally connected; it has always been a place of community engagement. Indeed, global perspective is embedded in the histories and communities that have shaped the local context in British Columbia and at UBC. The balance of Canadian perspective and geographic diversity across our student population is a tremendous strength. UBC’s work in community-engaged research, learning and public service sets us apart. Our global networks open new vistas for research and education, and they enable UBC to help mobilize positive change across the world. Our Asia-Pacific connections, built over many years, have yielded a powerful set of partnerships and academic exchanges. We have made tremendous strides in building a strong culture of alumni engagement, with our alumni now numbering more than 375,000 in over 160 countries. We are sustaining the important work of engagement and expanding its scope to connect our local and global efforts more effectively. Strengthened engagement requires an outward orientation and enhanced accessibility for partners, as well as structures and processes to support reciprocity and co-ordination. It also demands the capacity to listen and adapt to the evolving needs and dynamics of the world beyond the university.