New coalition to advocate for art and design universities

Canada’s art and design universities are ready to tell their story. Stretching from Halifax Harbour to downtown Vancouver, these postsecondary institutions have been educating graduates for more than a century. Despite that history, their contribution to Canadian culture and economy remains under-recognised, writes Hannah Liddle for University Affairs.

Now, the leaders of Ontario College of Art and Design (OCAD) University, NSCAD University, Alberta University of the Arts (AUA) and Emily Carr University of Art and Design (ECU) have joined forces to form a new coalition. Tentatively named the UAD4 it aims to amplify their impact through a collective voice.

“Essentially you could say we are the engine that creates arts and culture in this country,” says Ana Serrano, OCAD University’s president and vice-chancellor. “And as the engine that accelerates and develops the talent feeding into the entire creative economy in this country, we have an outsize role to play in how the Canadian future unfolds and evolves.”
Full report on the University Affairs site