Dr. Michael MacKenzie, a Political Studies Professor and Jarislowsky Chair in Trust and Political Leadership at VIU.
The mentorship-based program is for aspiring political and community leaders.
Students looking for practical leadership training now have another option at Vancouver Island University (VIU).
Beginning this September, the Democratic Leadership certificate is a mentorship-based program designed to educate aspiring leaders. It will provide the knowledge, skills and connections they need to make a difference in their communities.
Students can take the program as part of their degree at VIU. It’s also available as a standalone credential, explained Dr. Michael MacKenzie, a Political Studies Professor.
“It’s for anyone who is thinking about entering public life,” he said. “Public life includes people working in education, government and community organizations. Anyone with leadership aspirations can take this program.”
MacKenzie is VIU’s Jarislowsky Chair in Trust and Political Leadership. He is part of a network of chairs at five universities across Canada who have co-developed this program. The Jarislowsky Foundation created permanent endowments at each university to support this pan-Canadian leadership program into the future.
Students begin by building a strong foundation in how political systems work and how democracy functions in practice.
“We give people good training in how our political systems work and how they ought to work,” MacKenzie said.
From there, students move into experiential learning. This includes simulations, projects and real-world scenarios that mirror the challenges leaders face.
MacKenzie said one example of this is the Institute for Future Legislators, where participants take part in a parliamentary simulation. Students learn how to debate, develop policy and respond to media questions, often from real journalists.
Another major focus of the program is helping students build connections in public life. It includes opportunities to work with experienced leaders, including elected officials. Graduates become part of an alumni network of “Jarislowsky Fellows.”
“The idea is that students build connections now and those connections grow over time,” said MacKenzie. “When they step into leadership roles, they have that support network in place.”
Stephen Jarislowsky, President of the Jarislowsky Foundation, was born in Germany in 1925. He lived in the Netherlands and France between the two world wars. He said the program responds to a need in our democratic societies.
“I’m thrilled to see this program come to fruition at a time when the world is more uncertain and unstable than it has been in recent history,” he said. “As we face new threats to our democratic systems, this course will help educate our future leaders whose job it will be to strengthen and build trust in our public institutions, our organizations and ourselves.”
To learn more, visit the Democratic Leadership Certificate homepage.
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Media contact:
Eric Zimmer, Communications Officer, Vancouver Island University
P: 250.618.7296 | E: Eric.Zimmer@viu.ca | W: news.viu.ca
The VIU community acknowledges and thanks the Snuneymuxw, Quw’utsun, Tla’amin, Snaw-naw-as and Qualicum First Nation on whose traditional lands we teach, learn, research, live and share knowledge.
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