Canada's
involvement with Bhutan began in the early 1960s when a
Canadian Jesuit, Father William Mackey, was invited into
Bhutan to help establish a secular school system. Father
Mackey continued his work in the education sector until
his death in 1995. He was publicly honoured on many occasions
by the Bhutanese government for his years of service to
the country, and in 1994, the University of New Brunswick
also recognised his work with an honorary degree.
1985:
The World University Service of Canada (WUSC) opened
an office in Thimphu. More than 40 Canadian teachers worked
in Bhutanese schools and 20 Bhutanese teachers studied at
UNB under WUSC.
1992:
After WUSC withdrew from Bhutan because of financial
troubles at home, the Canadian High Commission in New Delhi
took over the office, changing its name to the Bhutan-Canadian
Cooperation Office (CCO). Because of UNB's long association
with Bhutan, the Bhutanese government requested CIDA to
continue its assistance to the education sector through
UNB's Education Faculty.
A tribute to Father William Mackey. Listen to the .mp3 file.
