Minister of Advanced Education Visits the CICS

Honourable Amrik Virk, the Minister of Advanced Education for the Province of British Columbia visited the Centre for Indo-Canadian Studies on his final stop during an all-day tour of the Agriculture Centre of Excellence currently under construction in the Chilliwack, UFV campus. “We are planting the seeds of success for students who want to reap an exciting and rewarding career in our province’s vibrant agriculture sector,” said Advanced Education Minister Amrik Virk, who participated in a hard-hat tour of the new facilities. “The new Agriculture Centre of Excellence facilities at UFV are an example of how our flexible and nimble post-secondary education system is adapting to ensure we produce students who can support a strong agricultural sector in B.C.”

The tour included a stop at the Canada Education Park (CEP) Executive office and meetings with Dr. Mark Evered, Vice-Chancellor and President of UFV, VP External, Harv McCullough; Dean Trades and Technology, John English; Executive Director of Facilities and Campus Planning, Craig Toews Director of Special Projects and from the Chilliwack Economic Partners Corporation, John Jansen. The Minister was particularly impressed with the Aboriginal Gathering Place as much of his past work experiences has involved work with the Aboriginal communities of BC.

The meeting at the CICS included UFV President Dr. Mark Evered, Simon Gibson, MLA for Abbotsford-Mission and local philanthropist and member of the Indo Canadian Community Advisory Committee, Dr. Malwinder Dhami. The conversations were meaningful as Amrik reflected on the successes and achievements of the Indo-Canadian community in Canada. The Minister expressed his continuing support for higher education for all students that is culturally relevant and appropriate.

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