Alberta Launches $6.5 Million Research Initiative Focused on Canada-US Relations and Policy
https://www.theepochtimes.com/world/alberta-launches-6-5-million-research-initiative-focused-on-canada-us-relations-and-policy-5859300
The Alberta government says it wants to fill a research gap in U.S.-Canada relations to better understand the evolving North American dynamic and help the province address the impact of U.S. policy shifts.
The new research program, called the New North America Initiative, would bring together the “brightest minds” from academia, government, and the private sector from across the continent to analyze developments in U.S.-Canada relations and create policy proposals to enhance collaboration between the two countries, Premier Danielle Smith said in a May 16 press conference.
She said that while the relationship between the two countries has been strained in recent months, a decades-long bond still unites them, and that a clearer understanding of the situation could help assess what is effective and what could be improved for the benefit of both sides.
“A strong and collaborative relationship with the United States is essential to Alberta’s long-term success,” Smith said. “This initiative will deepen academic and policy partnerships, and expand Alberta’s research capacity, to support and develop effective responses to shifts in Canada-U.S. relations.”
The province is allocating $6.5 million over the next three years to the initiative, which will be led by the University of Calgary’s School of Public Policy and will involve collaboration with a number of Alberta and U.S. universities.
Those institutions include the University of Alberta, University of Lethbridge, Mount Royal University, University of Nebraska, University of Colorado, Arizona State University, and Texas-based Rice University. Continue…