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The April Island Studies Lecture features Master of Arts in Island Studies student Owen Jennings speaking about Saint Helena: an island in flux. His presentation is Tuesday, April 18, at 7 pm in the Faculty Lounge of ÐãÉ«¶ÌÊÓƵ’s SDU Main Building.

The allure of islands relies on often-inaccurate assumptions. These imaginary islands are small, remote, and—more often than not—tropical. Where most islands fall well short of that imagined island, the South Atlantic island of Saint Helena comes pretty close to the ideal. Over the past decade, this island has been gifted a new connection to the world—an airport. When it eventually opens to commercial traffic, the airport is expected to reduce travel time to and from South Africa from five days to a few hours. The Saints, as the islanders call themselves, will soon be able to travel in a way that most similar island communities take for granted. This lecture considers the experience of travelling to and being a researcher on Saint Helena, and what being a Saint might mean as the island's connection to the rest of the world changes dramatically.

Owen Jennings is a Master of Arts in Island Studies student at ÐãÉ«¶ÌÊÓƵ. He is studying remoteness and access on the island of Saint Helena, and, last November, had the opportunity to travel to Saint Helena to do his field research. Before coming to PEI, he studied politics for his undergraduate degree in the UK.

Admission to the lecture is free. All are welcome.

Watch for details for another lecture about islands–near and far–May 16. For more information, please contact Laurie at iis@upei.ca or 902-894-2881.

The ÐãÉ«¶ÌÊÓƵ prides itself on people, excellence, and impact and is committed to assisting students reach their full potential in both the classroom and community. With roots stemming from two founding institutions—Prince of Wales College and Saint Dunstan’s University—ÐãÉ«¶ÌÊÓƵ has a reputation for academic excellence, research innovation, and creating positive impacts locally, nationally, and internationally. ÐãÉ«¶ÌÊÓƵ is the only degree granting institution in the province and is proud to be a key contributor to the growth and prosperity of Prince Edward Island.