Peter Keller is a retired Professor of Geography from both Simon Fraser University (SFU) and the University of Victoria (UVic).  He joined UVic in 1985 and became their Dean of Social Sciences from 2004-2014.  Peter then moved to SFU to take on the role of Provost and VP Academic retiring from there as Emeritus Professor of Geography in 2024. His area of scholarship explored the advancement of the geographical information sciences and spatial analysis for informed decision making as well as secondary research areas in community mapping and tourism development.

Peter joined AWB in 2019 as a volunteer alongside other AWB volunteers collaborating on a project, Strengthening Engineering Education and Research in partnership with Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST) in Uganda. This project included a series of on-line lectures to develop research capacity for local faculty, followed by guided preparation of research proposals, some which later became funded scholarship.

Peter currently serves as the AWB Lead Volunteer, supporting colleagues in Nepal in the establishment of the University of Nepal (UN). His involvement began in 2019, when he responded to an AWB request to review and validate a proposal for a new university centered on interdisciplinary undergraduate programs grounded in the liberal arts and sciences. The proposed institution places a strong emphasis on community engagement and is designed to operate and govern itself at arm’s length from the Nepali government.

Bold in vision and scope, it took until 2024 for the idea to translate into the Nepali Government passing an Act in Parliament to facilitate the establishment of such an institution. Peter took an active role in helping craft the Act, as well as collaborated in conversations around designing the academic programming and campus operations. The goal is for the University of Nepal to open its doors to the first cohort of students in August of 2026.

Peter developed expertise in the opportunities and challenges of international research contexts early in his career through participation in collaborative research programs with communities in northern Thailand and East Kalimantan on the island of Borneo. These initiatives were supported by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), and laid the foundation for his sustained engagement in international and community-based research.

His scholarly record reflects extensive collaboration with industry and government to advance technological innovation, alongside long-standing partnerships with local and Indigenous communities focused on participatory mapping for knowledge preservation and community empowerment. These efforts culminated in his leadership in establishing the Community Mapping Collaboratory at the University of Victoria (UVic), which later expanded to a national scale, as well as the Office of Community-Based Research at UVic. Collectively, these initiatives strengthened institutional mechanisms for university–community engagement and knowledge mobilization.

Reflecting on his volunteer work, Peter shared:

“I was looking for an opportunity to give back to the community as a volunteer what I learned over decades as a faculty member and university administrator. AWB opened those doors for me.

It is a genuine privilege and pleasure to work with people in low- and middle-income countries to help them advance their dreams; delivering education in their own countries, to their own youth. Graduating informed, open-minded young people who are ready to become active participants in society and the economy is incredibly meaningful work. Supporting aspirations to advance research and innovation at the cutting edge of knowledge in their own countries is equally rewarding.

Through this work, I have gained new colleagues in distant parts of the world, some of whom I now call friends. I am deeply grateful to AWB for the opportunities they created for me, and for so many other faculty and staff, to engage in this kind of volunteer work.”

AWB volunteers are dedicated academics who collaborate with their colleagues at AWB’s partner institutions in low- and middle-income countries, giving generously of their time and efforts, to share expertise through working on projects across objectives and disciplines. Thank you, Peter for all of the energy and engagement you have dedicated towards volunteering with AWB!