Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami and the Mastercard Foundation – today announced a partnership to support the planning and visioning of a university in Inuit Nunangat, the Inuit homeland in Canada, designed and delivered with Inuit customs and values in mind.
The partnership will support engagement with Inuit, regional leaders, educators, youth and experts over the next two years and beyond. Consultation with Indigenous educators, education program development partners, and research experts within Inuit Nunangat and internationally is also a priority.
In June 16, 2011, ITK introduced the National Strategy on Inuit Education, which sets out the steps needed to reclaim our education systems. The Strategy identifies establishing a university in Inuit Nunangat as a critical element to increasing success in post-secondary education. This partnership with the Mastercard Foundation is a significant milestone, coming on the 10th anniversary of the Strategy’s release.
ITK will work with a task force made up of representatives from the Inuvialuit Settlement Region, Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated, Makivik Corporation and the Nunatsiavut Government and supported by ITK’s National Inuit Committee on Education. The task force will serve as a guiding voice throughout the development process and will be responsible for initiating concrete planning activities.