University of British Columbia

www.ubc.ca

The University of British Columbia’s goal is to excel internationally in research and teaching, and to be a leader in discovery and scholarship that is the wellspring of scientific, technological, social, cultural and organizational innovation in the nation and in the world. The broad goals of the university are, among others: to create innovative ideas and methodologies across the array of disciplines; to improve the quality of life for the citizens of the world; to chart a course for society to lead and to adapt to rapid technological and social changes; to aid economic development and diversification; to inform responsible ethical, legal, environmental and public policy; to enhance recognition of our global interdependence by fostering international cooperation and exchange of knowledge.

Clearly these institutional goals are closely related to both the overarching principles of Web 2.0, including applying Information Technology to facilitate Communication, Collaboration and Community; as well as the specific goals of the Web2forDev conference, in other words to make these rapidly evolving technologies available in a development context to improve the communication and collaborative potential of communities around the world to assist in order to contribute to improving their quality of life.