The International Office’s mandate covers a broad range of international activity across all campuses of the University, including student and faculty mobility opportunities, international scholarship programs, and now, international projects and consultancies.

Memorial’s Strategic Internationalization Plan 2020 recommended that it look to increase its capacity to position itself as a successful bidder on competitive international projects and consultancies funded by the Canadian government, foreign governments, and international financial institutions.

Recommendation 5, “Aiming for Global Impact”, Action 1 stated that Memorial should “Establish an international development project division within the Internationalization Office, in partnership with MI International, to strengthen our capacity to bid on international development projects from all campuses with our community partners.

As a result the International Projects and Consultancies division located on the St. John’s Campus was developed. It is the focal point for international development initiatives at the St. John’s and Corner Brook campuses of Memorial University.

Through its three campuses in Newfoundland and Labrador, Memorial has been involved in international engagement, including exchanges and research collaborations, and international development since the 1960’s. With growing international possibilities, MUN’s faculty, staff and students are keen to develop international understanding, intercultural skills and take advantage of the opportunity to engage with other cultures through international experiences.

One of the mandates of the division is to support Memorial’s international initiatives and to look for opportunities to increase student, faculty and staff engagement in global issues through involvement in international activities and associations, both on-campus and abroad.

In developing this mandate the institution looked to identify current capability and capacity, assessed the internal interest to engage in international project activities, and where warranted, looked at developing mechanisms to help build additional pan-institution capacity. The process looked at identifying internal resources and promoting overall University (multi-campus) involvement in International Projects and Consultancies.

Priority sectors

We focus on:

• Education: basic education, curriculum development, teacher training, sector reform
• Technology in education: online learning, blended learning, technology-enhanced classrooms
• Health: maternal and child health, rural medicine, telemedicine
• Social sciences and humanities: international and community development
• Business: entrepreneurship

Our approach

The Internationalization Office works closely with partner institutions in the developing world on a variety of research and development projects. Using our faculty and staff expertise we look to:

• develop capabilities to identify solutions to complex problems through applied research, training and education
• partner with the private sector, academia, civil society organizations and governments, leveraging local capacities to identify and implement solutions
• provide leadership, mentorship, institutional coherence and advice to the university community as it relates to international development
• support Canada’s international development and conventions, by addressing issues related to environmental sustainability, gender equality, governance and human rights

International projects and community development initiatives have ranged in scope and budget from modest consulting and evaluation contracts to large-scale projects related to institutional capacity building, public policy, health, education, community based rehabilitation, etc.

Through our core staff and large network of faculty and professional associates, we have undertaken cutting-edge international development work focused on environmental aspects such as water resources management and governance issues in the broader context of human and social development. While doing so, we’re placing a special emphasis on education, as well as women and children’s health and well-being.

Learn more:

As always, please feel free to connect with us at international@mun.ca.