The transportation industry is extremely important to the Canadian economy. In 2000, commercial transportation accounted for 4.1% ($32 billion) of Gross Domestic Product (GDP).  Domestically, transportation enhances the competitiveness of all sectors of the economy. On an international scale, the provision of transportation services is even more significant. Forty percent of Canada's Gross Domestic Product is exported. To facilitate this trade, a seamless and efficient transportation system is key to competing in an increasingly global economy.

The need for trained individuals in the transportation field is also an important link in the system. To date, education in Canada, with respect to transportation, has not been a high priority. At the university level, there exists no sustained organized program in which a student can focus on the interdisciplinary studies necessary to be trained in matters of transportation. The same lack of organized, educational opportunities exists with respect to continuing education programs in Canada for people in industry and business who wish to upgrade and broaden their expertise.

Given this background, The Van Horne Institute for International Transportation and Regulatory Affairs established the Centre for Transportation, at the University of Calgary, to promote education and research in transportation issues. The intent is to achieve a critical mass of expertise and academic excellence. The educational goals of the Centre are two-fold: students will be able to graduate from university prepared for a career in transportation, and the current transportation workforce will have access to educational resources for continuing education.

Activities of the Centre:

1.  Transportation minor degree program (Faculties of
       Social Sciences and Engineering)

2.  Concentration in transportation and logistics program
     (Faculty of Management)

3.  Transportation graduate scholarship program

4.  Research program

5.  Continuing education courses:

a.  Physical Distribution & Logistics
b.  Executive Strategies for Transportation Projects
c.  Supply Chain Management
d.  Process-Based Modeling in Transportation
e.  Decision Support Systems and Environmental Planning in the
     Transportation and Related Sectors
f.   Transportation Economics