The MDP Network and the Global Classroom

The MDP at The University of Winnipeg is an active member of the MDP program group of 23 other universities and their partners.  Collaboration among the network of universities is facilitated by a MDP Secretariat situated at Columbia University. Through the Secretariat, the MDP universities work together to develop and evaluate curriculum and field learning placements, and jointly to promote development through policy and program implementation initiatives.

One innovative way to have learning shared across all the member institution MDP programs is through the Global Classroom. This is a for credit course for ALL the MDP first-year student cohorts around the world. The geographic location of the Global Classroom is at the Earth Institute in Columbia University. The course is delivered under the leadership of Jeffrey Sachs and John MacArthur in a real-time, face-to-face meeting for all students through some innovative technology. This is a unique opportunity for our students to be an active part of the MDP student body, to ask questions of the top researchers and activists in the world, and to put Indigenous development on the world-wide MDP agenda.