Regional Initiatives

Strategic Collaboration with the City of Kelowna

The City of Kelowna and UBC recognize the value of collaboration to support regional socioeconomic development and initiatives that contribute to a livable, prosperous and sustainable community.

A formal Memorandum of Understanding was signed in September 2017 to build on the existing working relationship between the City and UBC and to collaboratively explore and undertake a variety of joint initiatives.

The memorandum does not impact existing project partnerships between UBC Okanagan researchers and the City of Kelowna. Rather, the intention is to encourage further collaboration and provide a mechanism for the organizations to connect and support future opportunities.

City of Kelowna-UBC Memorandum of Understanding

Interior University Research Coalition (IURC)

The British Columbia Interior University Research Coalition (IURC) is a partnership between the University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC) in Prince George, Thompson Rivers University (TRU) in Kamloops, and The University of British Columbia’s Okanagan campus.

The IURC partnership is based on the view that these three campuses, because of their size and their proximity as research ‘neighbours’ in the BC Interior, can, by working together, achieve more and provide greater benefits to the region, the province and beyond. At the heart of this coalition is a shared commitment to participating in partnerships that focus on:

  • Fostering research excellence, knowledge and innovation;
  • Harmonizing resources;
  • Enhancing academic opportunities; and
  • Increasing benefits for communities throughout the BC Interior

The IURC will create new opportunities for the BC Interior by attracting additional talent and investment, by building on the region’s existing strengths and resources, and by creating new opportunities for economic and social innovation.

Learn more about the Interior University Research Coalition

Interior & Northern Work Integrated Learning Coalition (INWIL)

The Interior and Northern Work Integrated Learning (INWIL) coalition has formed to connect employers with skilled student talent throughout the Northern and Interior regions of British Columbia. The collaboration between Thompson Rivers University (TRU), the University of British Columbia Okanagan (UBCO), and University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC), aims to foster direct connection with organizations, opening the door for employers to innovate, increase capacity, retain talent, and contribute to a future skilled workforce within BC.

The project aims to support organizations in the North and Interior by:

  • Fostering connections between industry and higher education;
  • Providing centralized access to student talent from three regional institutions (TRU, UBCO & UNBC);
  • Developing accessible resources to support hiring, onboarding and retaining student talent; and
  • Supporting employers in identifying available funding and grant opportunities.

Learn more about the Interior & Northern Work Integrated Learning Coalition