CENTRES OF INNOVATION
SHAPING THE FUTURE OF HEALTH AND WELLNESS Vanita Varma, PhD Director, Centre for Innovation in Health & Wellness (CIHW) Faculty of Health Sciences & Wellness HEALTHY AND INCLUSIVE COMMUNITY IS one of the three main pillars of Humber College’s 2018-2023 Strategic Plan. The strategic priorities under this pillar are: x Optimize student success by embedding health and wellbeing into all aspects of campus culture x Continue to build a diverse and inclusive community of exceptional students, faculty and staff x Provide national leadership in developing sustainable campuses Over the last two years, healthy and inclusive community became particularly important as the COVID-19 pandemic impacted our lives, our well-being and, above all, overwhelmed our healthcare system. Among many other uncertainties, the pandemic also brought to the surface the deep-rooted systemic health inequities and gaps that have existed for years but have never been fully addressed. Humber, with its
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MARCH 2022 THE INNOVATION ISSUE
STUDENTS ENGAGED IN DISCUSSION IN CLASS
successful history in providing high-quality education to those pursuing careers in the healthcare and wellness sectors, has taken a leadership role to address these gaps and to shape the future by creating a new Centre for Innovation in Health & Wellness (CIHW). CIHW is part of Humber’s Centres of Innovation (COI) Network, which includes the Barrett Centre for Technology Innovation, Centre for Entrepreneurship, Centre for Creative Business Innovation, and the Centre for Social Innovation. The COIs bring together faculty members, staff, researchers, scholars, students and community members to collaborate on new ideas, solve problems, and push the boundaries of innovation.
