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Government of Canada : Press Releases: Cuba 12 November 2002 Canada and the University of New Brunswick Help Cuba Develop Biomedical Capability FREDERICTON, Nov. 13 /CNW/ - The Honourable Andy Scott, Member of Parliament for Fredericton, on behalf of the Honourable Susan Whelan, Minister for International Cooperation, today announced a $750,000 contribution over six years to the University of New Brunswick to help Cuba develop a biomedical engineering education program. "In order to sustain a health system, it is necessary to develop expertise in new technology," Mr. Scott said. "By helping to develop education and professional skills, this project will enable Cubans to acquire modern and up-to-date biomedical capability." Canada, through the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), will help the University of New Brunswick work with its Cuban partners to develop human resources in biomedical engineering. They will work on maintaining a high-quality continuous-education program, offer graduate studies, and contribute to the development of the new medical equipment industry in Cuba. This initiative is funded through CIDA's University Partnerships in Cooperation and Development (UPCD) Program. This is a responsive mechanism through which Canadian universities can partner with developing country organizations specializing in education and training. The projects are selected through a competitive process on the basis of merit and peer review. CIDA's contribution is on a cost-sharing basis. The project being announced today will be administered by the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC). "With support from CIDA, experts from New Brunswick have been at the forefront of work in the field of international development," Minister Whelan said. "By helping to build-up the quality and relevance of biomedical engineering education in Cuba, Canadians are helping to make sure that the Cuban people have access to high-quality health services." "The Institute of Biomedical Engineering at UNB Fredericton and the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto are pleased to partner with three Cuban Universities on this project," says Kristel Desjardins, project manager for UNB. "The project will transfer to the Cuban partners the skills of the well-recognized Canadian experts in the fields of Biomedical and Clinical Engineering, give support to laboratory upgrading, and assist in the realization of different graduate education activities." Funding for this initiative was provided for in the December 2001 federal budget and is therefore built into the existing fiscal framework. For further information: Valérie Poulin, Office of the Minister for International Cooperation, Telephone: 819 953-6238; Media Relations Office, Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), Telephone: 819 953-6534, E-mail: info@acdi-cida.gc.ca, Web site: www.acdi-cida.gc.ca (electronic version of document); Sandra Howland, University of New Brunswick, Telephone: 506 458-7968, E-mail: showland@unb.ca back to Press Releases