CREATE Sustainable Engineering in Remote Areas (SERA)

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Providing engineering services in remote areas poses significant challenges and opportunities for Canada's future. Industry struggles to find engineers with the needed specialized skills, who fully understand the societal and intercultural implications of working with Aboriginal communities. CREATE Sustainable Engineering in Remote Areas (SERA) will graduate professionals familiar with both cutting edge research and an understanding of Aboriginal culture. Students will study Aboriginal culture, sustainability, business, and research to address three areas of national interest: natural resources and energy (sustainable energy, energy efficient buildings), information and communications technologies (sensing, structural health monitoring), and economic development and education for Aboriginal peoples. ** This training program is timely because a 2011 Assembly of First Nations (AFN) report noted that over 100 clean energy projects are expected in First Nations communities by 2020. Many projects require knowledge of Aboriginal communities as a condition of tender; companies without this expertise are missing out on these growing opportunities.** Queen's, Manitoba, Ottawa, and RMC are well positioned to create this world-class program and have committed at least $320,000. SERA has already garnered the support of seven engineering firms who have committed over $1 million of in-kind support for at least 68 internships. These industry partners also expect to hire the majority of program graduates. The team includes an Aboriginal engineer as the principal investigator, the Director of Education for the AFN, and the Manitoulin Aboriginal Business Development Officer. This multi-faceted CREATE program will train a minimum of 36 MSc & PhD students, 4 PDFs, and 12 Aboriginal undergraduate students over six years. Aboriginal students will represent 30% of trainees. The success of SERA will be measured by metrics developed in collaboration with the Queen's Centre for Teaching and Learning and Aboriginal communities.****************