‘Brain circulation’ at UCalgary is a global good

Exchange of ideas has benefits here and abroad, says Janaka Ruwanpura.

On the windowsill of my office at the University of Calgary, I keep a cricket bat signed by Mahela Jayawardene, a Wayne Gretzky of the sport, and my 1992 graduation picture from the University of Moratuwa in Sri Lanka. Every time I look out the window at students from across Canada and around the world walking by, I’m reminded of the power of sharing ideas, research and people’s talents across borders.

Here at the university, we call this internationalization. And we have a carefully thought out strategy, policies and programs that see our students go abroad to study and welcome students from other countries here. This exchange of minds is crucial for this university, our community and the planet.

UCalgary has worked hard to become a global intellectual hub. We’re competing with other top-research institutions around the world and we know that our internationalization programs are why many students choose to attend our university. When Canadian students come back from their experiences away, they enrich our community with their new knowledge.

In this interconnected world, people can lend their talents and share information like never before. Our concerns have evolved from “brain drain” to “brain gain” to recognizing the benefits of “brain circulation.” More than ever, we’re in the business of not only developing but circulating both knowledge and talent all over the world.

By collaborating across borders in a wide range of intellectual activities at other universities, our scholars are helping to tackle complex global issues such as climate change, clean and affordable energy and poverty. With the current seismic shifts in global geopolitics, it’s even more important to connect with others to better understand how things work and how to solve the challenges we face.

Every year, about 1,200 of our undergraduate students take part in one of the 150+ study abroad programs that allow them to study, live and travel abroad. And every year, hundreds of international students bring their considerable talents here to attend classes, work in our labs and share their world view. Some of these students stay and become valuable colleagues, employees and members of the community.

Others take their newfound Canadian perspective back home. In every case, both Canadian and international students make important connections, further the discovery of knowledge and develop personally and professionally. UCalgary students tell me all the time how their time abroad has changed their lives and often helped determine their careers. Ideas generated in one part of the world are transforming societies — and lives — in other parts of the world.

When you step out of your boundaries to see what else is happening in the world, amazing things can happen. I know this because I’ve lived it. After I finished my undergraduate degree in Sri Lanka, I did a master’s in Arizona and a PhD in Alberta. For the last 21 years, I’ve lived and worked here, teaching countless students, raising my family and contributing to my community. For the last six years, I’ve had the great privilege of overseeing the university’s international strategy, a concerted and coordinated effort that’s ensuring our students and faculty are part of a thriving global intellectual hub.

Today, when we see increasing barriers to the flow of goods and people, I believe it’s even more important that we pursue the internationalization of ideas and those who develop them. We remain committed to promoting diversity of thought, culture and respect for alternatives. Together with scholars around the world, we are encouraging our students’ personal development, boosting our city’s competitive advantage and discovering knowledge to solve problems that plague our planet.

When I host meetings in my office, people will often ask about the cricket bat sitting on the windowsill. I’m proud to tell them a little about the sport I grew up playing in Sri Lanka. And I’m proud to be a part of a university that sees the strength in working together across borders.