German chancellor to visit Dalhousie

Angela Merkel, chancellor of Germany and a key leader in the European Union, is arriving in Ottawa next week for her first bilateral visit to Canada. And on her way back to Germany, she'll be making a special stop at Dalhousie to talk oceans research.

During her visit to campus next Thursday, the chancellor will host a roundtable meeting with oceans scientists and grad students. She'll also witness the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Halifax Marine Research Institute, hosted at Dalhousie, and the Helmholtz Association, based in Berlin.

Chancellor Merkel is scheduled to arrive on campus shortly after 5 p.m. on Thursday and depart just over two hours later. During that time, she’ll explore an exhibition featuring the work of Dalhousie oceans researchers; discuss global challenges and research priorities in marine sciences with a group of faculty and grad students; tour some of the university’s research facilities; and observe the signing of the MOU.

The MOU is for a joint project, titled “Change, Risks and Resources in the Oceans (CRRO): A Transatlantic and Arctic Approach.” It's an exciting global collaboration that will investigate a variety of oceans risks, including climate change, weather (tsunami) risk assessment/mitigation, and marine oil/gas/mining exploration and spill mitigation.

All events on the visit are restricted to invited guests only. Though the visit takes place after most university offices are closed, some offices and nearby facilities (such as parking areas) may be affected by preparations and security setup during the day on Thursday. Further details will be communicated directly to those units affected.

Angela Merkel, chairwoman of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), became the first female chancellor of Germany in 2005. Forbes magazine has named her the world’s most powerful woman five separate times, and ranked her as the fourth most powerful person in the world last year. A physical chemist by trade, she has served as president of the European Council and was re-elected as Germany's chancellor in 2009. Among her many honours are the Vision for Europe Award, the U.S. Presidential Medal of Freedom, and the Indian Jawaharlal Nehru Award.