Athabasca University has been honored for its achievements in exporting.
The University won the Export Award of Distinction from the Alberta Chamber of Commerce at its annual business awards on March 4. AU beat out Auto Star Compusystems Inc. and Canadian Fertilizers Limited, both of Medicine Hat, for the award.
The school was nominated for the award, and won it, in recognition of how it has provided programs to students in foreign countries for many years.
It’s the only Canadian university that is fully accredited in the United States and its MBA program has been recognized as one of the best in the world by the Financial Times of London.
The school has students in more than 80 countries and has earned over $7.5 million in revenue from exports in the last three years.
With many programs designed for international students, AU enjoys well-deserved respect and appreciation throughout the globe, which was no doubt a factor in the Chamber’s decision.
“I would like to applaud the Chamber of Commerce for seeing the power and impact of a slightly different kind of export; one that does not involve a manufactured product in the traditional sense, but one that contributes mightily to our province’s and our country’s productivity and global influence,” said Dr. Deborah Hurst, associate dean of AU’s Faculty of Business, who accepted the award on behalf of AU president Dr. Frits Pannekoek.
“As Canada’s leading distance and online education university, we export knowledge and education, and we do that on a global level. This award is an acknowledgement of the value of these exports and confirms their impact on our dynamic, global knowledge economy.”
