September 1 marks 100 years since the University of King’s College and Dalhousie University formally entered into association, beginning a unique educational partnership. The association that binds the two universities has evolved to reflect the changing needs of our communities, but fundamentally it is about collaborating to enhance the experience each university offers to students. The result is a community that is greater than the sum of its parts.
Over the coming year, watch for events and communications that will highlight the anniversary. To kick things off, on September 23, King’s and Dalhousie’s Men’s Rugby teams will play in a special season opener game on Gorsebrook Field at 3 p.m. And later this year, on February 4th, the Dalhousie AC Rams and King’s Women’s Volleyball teams will meet in a special 100th anniversary match. More details to come.
King’s was founded in Windsor, Nova Scotia in 1789, where in 1920, a fire destroyed its main building. The Carnegie Corporation of New York offered to provide financial assistance to rebuild the university in Halifax and in an association with Dalhousie, which dates to 1818.
One hundred years on, this association still enriches our shared community and enhances the student experience at both King’s and Dalhousie in ways that could not even be imagined in 1923.
The academic partnership also laid the groundwork for King’s and Dalhousie to offer five innovative, shared certificate programs, requiring courses at both universities. Beyond these shared certificates, students in Dalhousie’s Faculty of Science and Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences may take courses through both Dal and King’s. Reinforcing the connection between the schools are the centres and supports that are shared by the members of both communities, like the Dalplex, both universities’ libraries, the centres at Dalhousie for Black students, Indigenous students, international students and student accessibility, and Student Health and Wellness.
Most importantly, we continue to recognize our shared history, and the role we can play together to build a better tomorrow. In October, Dalhousie and King’s will join with the Black Cultural Centre for Nova Scotia to host the 2023 Universities Studying Slavery (USS) Conference. This year’s USS conference is the first to be held outside of the United States. It will also be the first USS conference to foreground the history of slavery in Nova Scotia and Canada, and the experience of African Nova Scotians particularly.
The conference stands as a notable example of the ways our partnership pushes us to expect more of ourselves and highlights the incredible potential for Dal and King’s to extend our partnership beyond our neighboring campuses, and into the broader community.
The relationship between Dal and King’s — and the shared student experience it offers — shows that knowledge knows no boundaries. This year, please join us in celebrating 100 years of Dal and King’s working together to support our students and help them achieve their aspirations.
Sincerely,
Kim and Bill
| Kim Brooks (she/her) President and Vice-Chancellor, Dalhousie University |
William Lahey (he/him) President and Vice-Chancellor, University of King’s College |
Read more about the evolution and growth of this association
