UBC's Fire Protection Engineering Program, in the Faculty of Applied Science, has entered into a $75,000 per year contract with the City of Vancouver.

The contract includes provision of services to the city including courses, seminars and workshops in fire protection engineering, post-fire analysis and other topics, and the undertaking of research programs aimed at specific problems identified by the city's Permits and Licenses Dept. and the Vancouver Fire Dept.

The contract was spearheaded by Vancouver Fire Chief Glen Madiss; Bob Maki, chief building inspector for the City of Vancouver; Program Director Jim Mehaffey; and Protection Engineering Inc. President John Ivison, an adjunct professor.

The first UBC students entered the one-year program leading to a Master of Engineering (MEng) degree in Fire Protection Engineering in 1994. The program is unique in Canada and one of very few internationally.

Faculty and staff will find it is easier and less expensive to make travel plans, thanks to contracts awarded to two travel agencies.

As part of a five-year deal, North South Travel and The Rider Travel Group will assign special agents to serve UBC customers starting Nov. 1.

"UBC people do a lot of travel, and much of it is research related," says Purchasing Dept. Travel Manager Connie Fabro. "We want the best deal possible because travel costs come out of grant funding and department budgets."

The travel agencies will provide a lowest airfare guarantee, and access to special rates from preferred airlines, car rental companies and hotels.

Both agencies also have Web sites that allow customers to request reservations and fill out traveler profiles.

An information session will be held Nov. 12 at 2 p.m. in room 241 of the General Services Administration Building.

Cultural relations in Quebec, the First Nations in a multicultural society and racial tensions in Nova Scotia's Coal Harbour high school are among the topics of a November seminar.

The David Lam Chair in Multicultural Education, held by Prof. Kogila Adam-Moodley, will host the two-day seminar titled Multiculturalism, Nationalism and Anti-Racism Education: Research and Current Debates in Canada.

The seminar will be held Wednesday, Nov. 12 and Thursday, Nov. 13 between 4 and 7 p.m. in Thea's Lounge at the Graduate Student Centre.

Speakers include Heribert Adam, Simon Fraser University; Janine Hohl, Université de Montreal; Michael Marker, UBC's Ts"kel program; Patrick Solomon, York University; and Blye Frank, Mount Saint Vincent University.