In celebration of 15 years in the Okanagan, UBC’s Okanagan campus announced today the Festival of Ideas, a year-long lineup of events curated to inspire ideas and strike up a conversation between UBC and the community.
The inaugural event will be a panel discussion with Janet Austin, the Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia and three guest speakers on Mar. 5. at the Laurel Packing House in Kelowna.
The panel called ‘Igniting Greater Civic Engagement in Our Community, Our Province,’ will explore what individuals, institutions and organizations can do to enhance reconciliation, democracy, and equity and inclusion.
“Engaging with our community is an intrinsic element of UBC Okanagan and it permeates everything we do,” said Ananya Mukherjee Reed, provost and vice-president academic, at UBC Okanagan.
“I am delighted that our Festival of Ideas will continue to cultivate this partnership by showcasing many of the incredible events that are integral touchpoints between community and campus.”
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She said welcoming BC’s Lieutenant Governor to the Okanagan is a particular honour.
“Her Honour Janet Austin’s priorities of equity, diversity and inclusion; democracy and civic engagement; and reconciliation are incredibly important and complement UBC Okanagan’s own values and expertise so perfectly,” said Mukherjee Reed.
“This is going to be a fantastic discussion and one that I hope sparks a wider conversation.”
The Festival of Ideas will run through the summer and until the end of the year, with over 30 public events—most of which are free.
“We’re excited to be sharing and celebrating this milestone with our community,” she said. “Over the coming months, we hope to highlight the kind of bold thinking and exciting ideas that make our campus and the Okanagan so unique.”
To see the spring line up or to register for the panel discussion, visit ok.ubc.ca/festival-of-ideas
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<div style="color: #808080
; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; font-weight: bold; text-indent: 5px; line-height: 22px; white-space: pre;”>Daniel Taylor
