The Christopher C. Gibbs College of Architecture is proud to celebrate a series of recent accomplishments by Dr. Jim Collard, Professor of Practice in the Division of Planning, Landscape Architecture, and Design, whose work continues to shape conversations around Indigenous economic development nationally and internationally.

Reductions in foreign assistance programs aren’t just numbers on a federal budget. They are felt directly on Oklahoma’s Main streets and in our Native American communities through lost trade opportunities, diminished foreign investment and weakened partnerships that take years to cultivate but can be lost in an instant. 

Tribally run business owners and individual Native American entrepreneurs are preparing for tariffs and other international trade shifts if Donald Trump delivers on his promise to enact tariffs on good from certain countries. Trump initiated a trade war during his first term that hampered tribes and business that trade directly with foreign countries or that readily use foreign products. We’ll find out how Native companies with foreign ties are preparing.

The webinar featured a panel of international stakeholders and leaders in sustainable development to discuss how communities can thrive by engaging with SDGs. According to the IEDC, adopting and advancing the UNs’ SDGs is imperative for communities that want to grow and retain a talented workforce and create a lasting impact. While the scale of global goals is unprecedented, the IEDC believes all business communities can contribute to SDGs.