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CIAR: Communication about the Office of External Affairs and International Relations and the Research Office

All research (pure and applied) and research clusters at Concordia University of Edmonton are supervised by and under the Office of the Vice President Academic and Provost.

Connections between academic, cultural and research activities to external and international constituents are supervised by and under the Vice President External Affairs and International Relations and are managed and carried out by the International Office and the CIAR.

CIAR is in the Office of External Affairs and International Relations as being, in close collaboration with the International Office, a hub for linking Concordia’s research activities to external partners such as community, business, industry and international constituencies.

The mission of the CIAR is to advance industry and community interests by building and strengthening connections between CUE and external partners turning knowledge and ideas into solutions.

The CIAR provides a coordinated approach for connecting multi-departmental research activities to external stakeholders including project collaboration, research commercialization, and business incubation and accelerator services.

CIAR 8 Pillars of Activity

1. Industry and community relations: Enables meaningful connections between CUE and external partners.
2. Research Commercialization: Mobilizes CUE research results into the market.  
3. Intellectual Property Protection: Facilitates the protection of viable intellectual property created by CUE’s research results.
4. Entrepreneurship Development: Assists students, recent grads, young and Indigenous entrepreneurs to identify and develop alternative career paths through one-on-one mentorship, workshops, seminars, and networking events.
5. Business Incubator: Transitions entrepreneurial ideas into reality through business development support, infrastructure, and mentorship.
6. Global Business Accelerator: Provides youth based local start-up businesses the resources to compete globally, and opportunities to collaborate with international businesses.
7. Customized Training: Responds to industry and community needs by creating adaptable and innovative industry and corporate training.
8. Community Outreach: Finds opportunities in the community to develop research collaborations.

The CIAR also assists in the “business process requirements” of research allowing faculty to focus on the research itself, thereby creating a team approach in developing and commercializing research opportunities.

The CIAR can provide assistance in any of the following areas:

• Identifying potential industry and community partners
• Developing project collaborations
• Guiding project scope and budget creation
• Providing project contract negotiation
• Protecting intellectual property
• Providing commercialization services

Dr. Manfred Zeuch
Vice President External Affairs and International Relations