After a lengthy search, TRU’s newest president was publicly announced on April 2. Airini, who once served as the Dean of the faculty of education and social work between 2014 and 2021, returns to lead the university in a time of significant challenges and pressures.
The Omega sat down with Airini earlier in the month to discuss her path, passions and excitements and some of the difficulties that lie ahead.
Ω: You have a very accomplished career. Please tell us a bit about your journey.
A: It’s true that I am fortunate to build up quite a range of experiences over the years, and that’s because I’ve had amazing colleagues and mentors [through] this journey. I started as a trained elementary teacher and ended up at a teachers’ college. I moved through to lecturing at a university and ended up coming to Canada and doing my PhD here as an international student. One day, a chance to reciprocate with Canada came up, and it was here at this amazing institution as the Dean of Education and Social Work. The project came to a close, and I went through to the University of Saskatchewan to be Provost and Vice President Academic. Then, the call back to Thompson Rivers University came, and it was the right time and the right opportunity. I couldn’t be happier to be here.
Ω: How are you planning to approach your first year as president?
A: To start off, it’s going to be about listening; listening to students, faculty and staff. I’ve had seven years at TRU already, but there’s a lot that’s gone on in the last four years, and there’s a lot that’s complicated in the university sector right now. So, it’s a good chance, I think, to prioritize listening but not to sit around and twiddle our thumbs, because there’s a lot of proactive work to be done to build off the important momentum that’s already underway here.
Ω: There will be challenges. For example, recent enrolment drops due to international student caps have strained the university. How do you plan to move forward?
A: There’s a lot to be taken seriously about the context we’re in as a university, and as a sector overall. It’s early days for me, and I start in July, so it’s time for me to learn about the planning that has been underway and be ready to have a smooth transition. But we are proactive and focused on moving forward. This is not a university to sit back and watch this wash over.
Ω: You’re very passionate about higher education and equitable access. How will this position be an extension of that?
A: It’s always been a major theme for me, this question of how to ensure success for all when it comes to university experiences. For me, students are at the heart of the university, and students here having access to the high-quality teaching that TRU is renowned for, whether on-campus, at a distance, or TRUly flexible, is important to me. It’s also important for students to have access to the research experiences that are so vitally important to this university. So, my passion for access and success for all will shine through. I’ll be applying that lens to everything that comes across my table.
Ω: Considering the controversial shutdown of the Fine Arts program last year, many have felt understandably critical of the university’s support of the arts. As the president, what would you say your position is?
A: This was work that happened outside my time here, and I will be briefed on it fully. At this stage, there is a case pending around the issue, and I want to be fully respectful of those processes. That said, I am a supporter of the arts at a personal level. I am interested to see how we, as a university, can be truly interdisciplinary.
Ω: Artificial intelligence has recently been a major point of contention in academia. What are your positions on AI and the possibility of ethical use, and what approaches will you take regarding AI in the university?
A: I should let you know that I’m an active user of AI. I’ve been studying the topic and recently completed some studies at MIT on AI and organizational strategy. Eventually, we’re going to find a balance point with AI, and it will mean being clear on our ethical approaches and embracing those parts of AI that are going to help us reach our potential as human beings. So, I am very interested in this. One of the questions I have is, in what ways could you best support learning and research with AI? And, being the University of this wider community, what leadership roles could TRU offer in the AI space? I feel pretty excited about the possibilities.
Ω: There’s a lot of uncertainty and anxiety amongst international students because of recent federal policies. As a former international student, how will your experience impact your approach to the international population at TRU?
A: All students matter to the university, and all students bring their own experiences and talents. TRU has always been welcoming of that and is a leader when it comes to international education. The challenges are real, and they are not unique to us. Right now, it’s about solutions that reflect truth, identity, and responsibilities that shape our university community. There’s serious work underway at the university, so I want to respect that. What I can reflect on is that the change in policy, while felt immediately in the international student space, actually sheds light on the importance of talent, [both] talent [which is] being developed and talent [that’s] being attracted. And finally, as issues around student demographics and budget arise, it’s important for universities as a sector to continue to tell the story of the value that comes from high-quality university education. Value to the students, to taxpayers, to the mums and dads, and the region.
Ω: We’re living in highly divisive times in Canada and internationally. What do you think the role of education is in restoring sanity and pushing for progress?
A: I’ll tell you a story. When I was growing up, there were five of us kids in the house, and we were rascals. My mum said she wanted to have a weekend away with each of us, so, at 11 or 12, I jumped into the old station wagon [with her] and took off down a dusty road. We stayed the night in a small cabin with no electricity, and in the morning, it was time to pack up and go back. My mum was outside collecting some things, and I was inside, tidying up. She came back and I said, “Mum, look, I’ve tidied up. It’s just like when we arrived.” My mother looked around and said, “This is good, sweetheart, but remember, when we leave a place, we should leave it better than we first found it.” So, we set about making it better. That’s what universities do, to me. We set about understanding where we’re at and then making things better. That’s why academic freedom is so important within the university environment. So that we can debate from our expertise, so that we can have this sanctuary, and then we can go out and be agents for positive change.
Ω: What advice would you give to TRU community members who find it difficult to stay positive and focused?
A: The way through is to understand our context. To talk together with understanding and to co-develop solutions. The role of the President is to look at all of those great ideas that come through, and then to be able to identify which of the many will be the way forward, and then to present that. But a university, ultimately, is the people. It’s not the buildings, it’s not the wiring, it’s not the car park. It’s the people themselves, and that’s how we can stay optimistic because of the calibre of the people here at TRU, who have chosen to come from near and far, and who are making their journeys purposefully and courageously.