Lakehead University

Purpose

The project aims to advance research on the intersections of gender, climate change, and sustainable development in the Indo-Pacific through a combined scholarship and fellowship program. It will support flexible research stays for graduate students (up to 16 over two years) and faculty (up to 16) in collaboration with partner institutions in the Republic of Korea, Japan, the Philippines, Fiji, and Vanuatu. A central component is the partnership between Lakehead University’s Faculty of Natural Resources Management and Kangwon National University (KNU) in Korea, focusing on adaptive forest management, bioeconomy strategies, and climate resilience. Additional collaborations will explore gendered dimensions of climate change impacts and adaptation in Japan, the Philippines, Fiji, and Vanuatu. The initiative builds on existing institutional agreements and seeks to establish dual-degree and co-tutelle programs, while fostering interdisciplinary research on topics such as forest fire mitigation, biodiversity, sustainable food systems, and gender roles in disaster resilience.