Visiting Scholars

Webinar recording and resources available

The World Leisure Centre of Excellence hosted its first online World VIU Points on December 10th with WLCE Visiting Scholar Dr. Kajsa Åberg who spoke about Innovation in Destination Development in Umeå, northern Sweden. 

• View the webinar recording 

• Access and download the PowerPoint presentation

VIU's World Leisure Centre of Excellence is pleased to welcome Dr. Kajsa Åberg, Regional Development Organization of Västerbotten, northern Sweden. She is joining the MASLM program in December as a visiting scholar and is the invited speaker for the next World VIU Points to be held online on December 10th, 7:00 - 8:15 am PST.

Dr. Åberg's presentation is titled "Innovations in Destination Development in Small Regional Cities – The Case for Umeå, in northern Sweden". 

In December 2019 I spent two weeks as a Visiting Scholar with the World Leisure Centre of Excellence at Vancouver Island University. My two weeks were attached to one of six courses required by the Master of Arts in Sustainable Leisure Management, SLM 604 Influencing Change towards Sustainability. For my business speaker standards, this was an odd choice that I did not hesitate in taking for reasons that, at the time of the application, were unclear to me, first of all.

As a seasoned veteran in business stages and corporate conferences, I have traveled all over the world, from Beijing to Caracas, typically spending two, maximum three nights out. With very rare exceptions, I would typically fly two or twelve hours, check into my hotel, meet the conference organizers, perform, attend speakers’ networking dinners or events, and fly back. When not on holidays in Italy or Japan, where my families reside, that would be my routine.

The Department of Recreation and Tourism Management and VIU's World Leisure Centre of Excellence are pleased to welcome Dr. Christine Van Winkle, visiting scholar from the University of Manitoba. Join us on January 23 for Dr. Van Winkle public presentation titled "Keep calm and communicate on: Festival and event crisis management".

On November 8, the MA SLM cohort said goodbye to the first visiting scholar of the semester, Dr. Kelly Bricker, Professor and Director of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism at the University of Utah. Dr. Bricker is specialized in sustainable tourism and protected areas management and has research and teaching interests in ecotourism, sense of place, community development, natural resources management, value of nature-based experiences, and the impacts of tourism.

VIU WLCE is pleased to welcome the second visiting scholar of the semester, Dr. Marco Bevolo from Breda University of Applied Sciences, the Netherlands. Join us on December 3 for Dr. Bevolo public presentation in which he will explore ways leisure strategies can contribute to the quality of life of refugees and citizens.

VIU WLCE is pleased to welcome the first visiting scholar of the semester, Dr. Kelly Bricker from the University of Utah. Join us for her public presentation on October 29. Dr. Bricker will explore the connections between nature-based tourism and health.

WLCE Visiting Scholar Program is designed to bring local and international leaders to VIU to engage with students, faculty, and the Vancouver Island region. The purpose of this engagement is to enrich the student experience, to share research and professional experiences, and to explore possibilities for future collaborations. 
WLCE is pleased to welcome the following Visiting Scholars for the 2019 - 2020 Academic Year. 

World VIUPoints - Visiting Scholar Presentation