Saint Mary’s University to host international symposium on co-operative governance

Experts in co-operative governance from around the world will gather in Halifax, Nova Scotia on September 5-7, 2013  for the International Co-operative Governance Symposium, hosted by Saint Mary's University. 

Saint Mary's, renowned internationally for its programs in co-operative management, was the driving force behind last year's Imagine 2012 conference on co-operative economics, held in Quebec City. 

The symposium will feature speakers and panels on such topics as the challenges and opportunities for co-operative governance, governance of different types of co-operatives (worker, producer, consumer, financial), governance of co-operative federations and networks, governance and co-operative identity and governance processes and board development.

The program includes a mix of such co-operative leaders and academics as Jean-Louis Bancel from Crédit Coopératif in France, Glen Tully from Federated Co-operatives Ltd. in Canada, Bob Yuill from the Scottish Agricultural Organisation Society (SAOS),  Karen Froggatt from The Co-operative Group in the UK,. Dr. Vrajlal Sapovadia from Shanti Business School in India and Fabio Chaddad from the University of Missouri. 

"We are thrilled to see so many from around the globe who are passionate about co-operatives coming together to explore governance and to look at how to more deeply infuse member participation within co-operatives," said Patricia Bradshaw, dean of the Sobey School of Business at Saint Mary's. "Such dialogue and sharing of research, as well as practical experience, will no doubt lead to insights that can also inform the work of both corporate and non-profit boards."  

The Symposium has also caught the attention of the International Co-operative Alliance (ICA).

"Engagement in governance is a vital part of the participation strategy in our Blueprint for a Co-operative Decade," said Charles Gould, the ICA's director-general. "We are hopeful that the Symposium will surface key trends and promising practices in this area."

For more information and to register online, go to www.smu.ca/academic/sobey/mm/governance-symposium.html. Registration deadline is August 29.