Have you checked out the VIU Experts List yet? We are adding to it constantly. If you have any special requests for experts that you don't see there, let us know, we may be able to connect you.
Featured experts
Gardening season is upon us!
Denise Winter is the Horticulture Coordinator for VIU's Milner Gardens & Woodland, a public garden in Qualicum Beach. Looking for someone to talk about spring garden prep? Another area Denise studies is how climate change is changing when we do what in the garden/what we plant.
Bill C-11: potential implications
The Online Streaming Act is close to becoming law in Canada. Bill C-11 includes a framework that would require online streaming platforms like Netflix and Spotify to contribute to the creation and promotion of Canadian content, much like the rules already in place for Canadian broadcasters. Dr. Debra Pentecost, a Media Studies Professor, can speak on what this bill could mean for Canadians' experiences with online streaming services.
VIU in the news
History of beermaking
VIU's resident beer expert, Dr. Marie Hopwood, who is Chair of VIU's Anthropology department, was recently interviewed by a writer with National Geographic in Germany for an article about how beer came to Germany. Check out her article on what we can learn about ourselves by looking at the history of beermaking on VIU's Community Classroom.
A community-based approach to education
A new cohort of model of learning at VIU’s Cowichan campus is designed and open for all first-year students to help them not only survive, but thrive in their post-secondary careers. The new learning community is called Q’ushin’tul, which means "walking together" in Hul'qumi'num. Learn more.
ITAS showcase
Information technology students showed off their ingenuity at Vancouver Island University’s inaugural Information and Applied Systems Project Fair. Learn more in this Nanaimo News Bulletin article.
Inside-Out
Vancouver Island University's Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program pairs inmates and university students together to study criminology. Over the next three years, VIU will extend this program to other communities. Learn more in this CTV News story.
Campus events
Seafood product showcase
Small-scale seafood entrepreneurs from VIU’s Seafood Business Accelerator program will unveil their innovative products during a showcase at the Nanaimo campus on May 4. This is your opportunity to connect with a cross-section of small-scale fishers, farmers and processors and contribute to their success as they seek innovative ways to capture more value for their harvests. Small-scale harvesters have considerable socio-economic importance in BC coastal communities and their inability to compete has led to a declining number of harvesters, which in turn has a major impact on coastal communities. The accelerator program was designed to help these harvesters become sustainable, self-sufficient businesses or community food providers. Register via Eventbrite.