Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Contribution
Driven by the vision of a more sustainable and equitable future, Humber’s work is closely aligned with several key UN Sustainable Development Goals. Through skills development, innovation, and community empowerment, the project is creating real pathways to quality education and global collaboration.
Our Projects in Asia
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Bhutan Education and Skills Training (BEST) Project
Timeline: March 2022 – February 2027
Funder: Global Affairs Canada (GAC)
Canadian partner: Humber Polytechnic
Bhutanese Consortium: Bhutan Ministry of Education and Skills Development, RENEW (Respect, Educate, Nurture and Empower Women)
Project Goal
To support a reformed technical and vocational education training (TVET) system in Bhutan to equip graduates with the knowledge and skills that meet labour market needs and contribute to the country’s socio-economic development.
The Bhutan Education and Skills Training (BEST) project is a five-year $5 million project funded by the Government of Canada through Global Affairs Canada (GAC) focused on supporting the comprehensive reform of the technical and vocational education training (TVET) system in Bhutan through interventions at the national, institutional and community levels. Humber College leads the project in partnership with Bhutan's Ministry of Education and Skills Development (MOESD), and RENEW (Respect, Education, Nurture and Empower Women), a non-profit organization in Bhutan.
The BEST project will increase the enrolment of Bhutanese youth in TVET programs, strengthen the competencies of work-ready TVET institution graduates and amplify economic and entrepreneurship opportunities for TVET graduates in Bhutan. The project will embed crosscutting themes of gender equality, environmental sustainability, accessibility (for people with disabilities) and Gross National Happiness to equip graduates with the skills and knowledge that meet labour-market needs and contribute to the country's socio-economic advancement.
Sulawesi Economic Development Strategy (SEDS)
Timeline: October 2021 – January 2018
Funder: Global Affairs Canada (GAC)
Canadian partner: Humber Polytechnic
Indonesian Partners: Hasanuddin University, Makassar State University, and Muhammadivah University Makassar in South Sulawesi. DeLa Salle Catholic University, Klabat University, Manado State University, and Sam Ratulangi University in North Sulawesi
Watch Entrepreneurs of Sulawesi Video
Watch Bringing The World to our Classroom
Project Goal
To improve the curriculum and teaching methods in entrepreneurship of seven Indonesian universities for students to develop creative business skills in the classroom, while also providing on-campus hubs for students to explore entrepreneurship on their own.
Sulawesi Economic Development Strategy (SEDS) was a four-year (2012-2018) initiative which improved the capacity of seven Sulawesi universities (teaching staff and administrators) to design and deliver applied entrepreneurship curriculum at the degree and postgraduate certificate levels.
SEDS equipped female and male graduates with the entrepreneurial skills necessary to start their own small businesses. It also helped to improve the capacity of these seven universities to design and deliver business support services (business training, counselling, and consulting and incubation service) that promote gender equality and environmental sustainability to Subject Matter Experts (SMEs). Through a train-the-trainer (TTT) approach, the project developed each university’s capacity to develop, improve and deliver applied entrepreneurship curriculum.
- 7,000+ students have studied the new entrepreneurship curriculum
- 56% of students enrolled in new entrepreneurship courses were women
- 18% of students who studied the new curriculum started a new business (1,260 businesses started)
- 50% of the new businesses have created at least 1 job
- The average monthly revenue of a student start-up was about $300
- 94% of students that took the course can name a business best practice on the topic of gender, governance and the environment
- 83% of students were satisfied with the new entrepreneurship courses
- 100+ Indonesian lecturers (approximately 50% female) completed three workshops on “Design and Delivery of Applied Entrepreneurship Curriculum” facilitated by Canadian and Indonesian experts
Maldives Enhancing Employability and Resilience of Youth (MEERY) Project
Timeline: 2020-2021
Funder: The World Bank
Canadian partner: Seneca College and Humber Polytechnic through the Humber-Seneca Polytechnic Partnership (HSPP) and Global Innovation & Skills Development Canada (GISDC)
Maldives partners: Government of Maldives (GoM), Ministry of Higher Education (MoHE) and the Ministry of Economic Development (MoED)
Project Goal
To improve female labour force participation and nurture entrepreneurship and innovation across the country, while promoting youth employment in priority sectors, including tourism and information communications technology.
The Maldives Enhancing Employability and Resilience of Youth (MEERY) Project was a one-year project (2020-2021) funded by the World Bank focused on increasing employment and earning opportunities among the youth of the Maldives. Seneca College led the project in partnership with Humber College through the Humber-Seneca Polytechnic Partnership (HSPP) and Global Innovation & Skills Development Canada (GISDC). The MEERY project was co-implemented by the Ministry of Higher Education (MoHE) and the Ministry of Economic Development (MoED) along with administrative councils, city council and women’s committees and other national stakeholders in the Maldives.
The Canadian consortium included Chris Dudley (Director of Entrepreneurship, Seneca College, HELIX), Zaiba Mian (Interior Design Expert, Humber College, Faculty of Applied Sciences & Technology), GISDC experts in System Development (Software and Applications) and project management, and two Bachelor of Interior Design students from Humber College.
The partners came together to design and develop an entrepreneurship incubation hub in the Maldives to improve the relevance of technical and vocational skills — including female labour-force participation — and nurture entrepreneurship and innovation across the country to further youth employment in priority sectors. The hub provided training, guidance, and business expertise, support new venture development and improve talent retention.