By Gloria Suhasini

New and returning students enjoy a meet and greet with the University president, foreign diplomats and peers

鈥淔rom the very first day I stepped on the 91亚色 campus, what I found most appealing was the mix of students from all over the world! This led to new friendships and connections which continue to make my university experience even more rewarding.鈥� said Damor McQueen, a fourth-year political science student from Jamaica, speaking at the President鈥檚 International Student Reception on September 25.

The Student Success Mentor Lead in the Black Excellence at 91亚色 program urged his peers to build new connections and get involved in academic and extracurricular activities to make the be best of 鈥渢his once in a lifetime opportunity being presented to you.鈥� He cited his own experience volunteering last year at the聽Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences聽hosted by 91亚色 that led to his current work/study student opportunity.聽

91亚色 continues to attract students like McQueen from around the world, who join the community with great enthusiasm to receive worldclass education 鈥� often work-integrated 鈥� in their chosen field, be that in the arts, science, technology or engineering.

To make high quality university education accessible, 91亚色 offers several . One such scholarship is the President鈥檚 International Scholarship of Excellence, awarded to high school applicants around the world, who are entering their first year of a four-year undergraduate degree at the university. Another scholarship popular among international students is the Tentanda Via Award. Named after 91亚色鈥檚 motto 鈥淭he Way Must Be Tried,鈥� it assists undergraduate students who have demonstrated resilience in overcoming significant personal barriers in the pursuit of a university education and progressive changemakers committed to sustainable development.

Other scholarships available for international students include Daughters for Life, the Global Leader of Tomorrow Award, and Mitacs Internships and Awards. Several聽聽attended the president's reception. For additional information, students are encouraged to visit 91亚色鈥檚聽Global Engagement听飞别产蝉颈迟别.

鈥淲hile it is our intention to support you in your academic journey, you also bring a wealth of insights and strengths to 91亚色," President and Vice-Chancellor Rhonda Lenton told the student audiences. 鈥淲e are thrilled that you chose us, and we look forward to what we will accomplish together. Please remember that nothing is more important than your well-being and health and we have many student services to support you.鈥�

The event organized by  was also attended by China鈥檚 Education Counsels Renzhu Li and Wenjin Han; India鈥檚 Consul (Commerce & Political) Kapidhwaja Pratap Singh; and the Philippine Deputy Consul General Kerwin Orville Tate and Consul Rodney Jonas Sumague.

These diplomatic representatives to Canada were not only present to celebrate their respective country鈥檚 highly talented students, but also to assure support in their new country of temporary residence. 鈥淲e wish them the very best in their courses of study,鈥� said Singh. 鈥淭he Indian Consulate remains at disposal for welfare and well-being of all Indian international students in Canada.鈥�

Diplomats were also on hand to speak to the students during the networking hour, a rare opportunity for these outstanding future leaders of the world.

By the end of the event, it was evident that many students had forged enriching new friendships that could last a lifetime, while advancing their education and career aspirations.

Originally published in News@91亚色.

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The 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) wrapped up on Dec. 12, with more than 50,000 delegates who descended upon Dubai in the United Arab Emirates for the annual international climate summit.  

Among the delegates was 91亚色鈥檚聽Angele Alook, an assistant professor in te School of Gender, Sexuality & Women鈥檚 Studies, and her research team: community-based researcher聽Lydia Johnson, of the Lac La Ronge Indian Band, with the Centre for Indigenous Knowledges & Languages; and PhD student and graduate associate聽Ana Cardoso.听听听

The trio were there to conduct field work for a project called聽Indigenous Climate Leadership and Self-determined Futures, which aims to highlight and advance the understanding of Indigenous methods to mitigate climate change, derived from traditional knowledge and governance, among Indigenous activists and leaders, knowledge holders, other researchers and policymakers.聽聽

The project鈥檚 findings will eventually be shared through both academic publications as well as several arts-based approaches, including photography, video and graphic novels. It is funded by the Catalyzing Interdisciplinary Research Clusters initiative, created by the Office of the Vice-President Research & Innovation at 91亚色.

Alook, who is a member of the Bigstone Cree Nation in Alberta, talks about the Indigenous-led project and her COP28 experience in this Q-and-A below. 

Q: What was your main objective with attending COP28?  

A: My team and I went to Dubai to interview several Indigenous leaders from Turtle Island (North America) and elsewhere in the world. We wanted to talk to them on the ground as they are simultaneously actively engaged in climate discussions with world leaders, government agencies, scientists and organizations. We believe capturing their stories in this moment will provide us with their best insights for our project.   

Much of our questions focus on learning about what motivated them to attend COP28, the challenges they face in a colonial space, their experience in policy talks and negotiations, and their climate actions back home.    

We also presented on several panels at the Indigenous People鈥檚 Pavilion and Canada Pavilion. We participated in the Local Communities and Indigenous People鈥檚 Platform youth knowledge holders discussions. We also participated alongside our Indigenous kin in several United Nations-sanctioned actions to promote Indigenous rights and human rights.  

Q: Why is Indigenous participation at events like COP28 important? 

A: COP28 represents the biggest international stage for climate change talks, but Indigenous Peoples make up only a small number of attendees. Indigenous Peoples are knowledge keepers and I believe they have real solutions to deal with climate change. We have a relationship to the Earth grounded in land-based practices and sustainability, so Indigenous Peoples鈥� voices are incredibly valuable if we want to see effective climate policies developed around the world.  

There鈥檚 also a lot of advocacy work that happens at these conferences to uphold Indigenous sovereignty, including in international treaties. Certain parts of the Paris Agreement, like article six, which focuses on carbon markets, could have serious implications for Indigenous Peoples and their assertion of rights. Some Indigenous communities have voiced their concerns that article six could lead to their lands or territories being exploited by companies or governments for carbon offsetting. It鈥檚 important Indigenous Peoples are fully consulted on these issues, as they often are the ones most impacted by these decisions.   

Q: COP28 marks the fourth time you鈥檝e attended the summit. What progress do you see being made for Indigenous Peoples in climate discussions? What was your overall experience like? 

A: On progress, I think Indigenous people involved in negotiations at COP27 would point to the creation of the climate Loss and Damage Fund, which could benefit smaller nation states with Indigenous communities most affected by climate change. This year, they also announced a  with former United States secretary of state Hillary Clinton in attendance. However, these funds go to nation states that colonize Indigenous Peoples, who are demanding direct access to these funds, instead of those who continue to colonize us. 

I do think it鈥檚 one thing to come to COP as a business person or civil servant, but I think it鈥檚 a very different thing to come as an Indigenous person. There鈥檚 a whole other world taking place here among Indigenous attendees in terms of relationship building. There is an immense amount of Indigenous knowledge from around the world being shared with one another. I think it strengthens our sovereignty and our own Indigeneity to tell these stories to each other and acknowledge our shared experiences.  

Personally, the most hopeful thing I鈥檝e felt at COP28 seems to be this growing solidarity among Indigenous Peoples. More and more Indigenous people are showing up as bold leaders in these spaces, sharing their knowledge and using their voices. It鈥檚 been an amazing experience for me and my research assistants to connect and listen to them.聽

Originally published in YFile.

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As an international, research university committed to high-quality education and driving positive change, 91亚色鈥檚 top priority is to enhance research impact and the global fluency of our students through partnerships around the world. Rhonda Lenton, 91亚色鈥檚 president and vice-chancellor, and Professor Andrew Maxwell, Bergeron Chair in Technology Entrepreneurship at the Lassonde School of Engineering, hosted Professor Ezri Tarazi, chair of t-hub from Technion 鈥� Israel Institute of Technology, in May to discuss initiatives for strengthening our relationship.

During his visit, Tarazi participated in a dinner conversation hosted by President Lenton. It was followed by a reception and lecture co-organized by the Lassonde School of Engineering鈥檚 Bergeron Entrepreneurs in Science and Technology (BEST) program and Technion Canada.

Technion is a top-ranked university in Israel celebrating the centennial anniversary of its first class in 2024, which coincides with the 10-year milestone of Technion-91亚色 relations. Maxwell began taking student entrepreneurs to Technion through the BEST program in  for a three-week summer course. Cohorts consisted of Lassonde and other 91亚色 students passionate about technology entrepreneurship. The partnership was formalized by senior leadership from both sides after then- co-signed an MOU with his Technion counterpart in 2016.

The relationship continued to evolve over the years. What started as a 91亚色 course delivered at Technion for 91亚色 students increasingly engaged Technion students and faculty. Technion faculty and leadership also visited 91亚色 to discuss plans to deepen the collaboration.

However, the pandemic interrupted the programming cycle, and at about the same time, t-hub came online. Tarazi鈥檚 visit to 91亚色 was an opportunity to re-establish and cement relationships.

鈥淯ntil a few years ago, we had no organized entrepreneurship program,鈥� said Tarazi, adding that 75 per cent of Israel鈥檚 startups have at least one founder from Technion. 鈥渢-hub has become the hub for everything to do with innovation for students and faculty, transforming how students perceive the campus.鈥�

Lenton noted that Technion is among the global universities with which 91亚色 is keen to develop a sustainable strategic partnership.

鈥淢y visit to Technion in 2022 and today鈥檚 visit from Technion come at an opportune time,鈥� Lenton said. 鈥淭ravel restrictions have eased, a 91亚色-led research effort received a landmark investment of $318.4 million for the development of societally responsible technologies, and we are expanding our tech industry-driven programs through our new Markham Campus, located in one of Canada鈥檚 largest innovation hubs. We are also about to launch a joint entrepreneurship course with Technion in 2024.鈥�

Jennifer MacLean, PhD, 91亚色鈥檚 assistant vice-president, innovation & research partnerships, said, 鈥淥ur track record in a major North American ecosystem has attracted international partners like the Governments of India, Korea and Chile. We also offer several entrepreneurship-oriented degree programs and courses which attract students from all over the world. We are keen to expand the reach of our entrepreneurship programs by engaging key ecosystems in Israel, India, Singapore and the United States.鈥�

Since 2018, over 800 companies have been supported, generating $205+ million in sales, raising $110+ million in investments and creating 1,300+ jobs through 91亚色鈥檚 pan-university entrepreneurship and innovation hub, YSpace. These incubators are deeply embedded in the network of the Greater Toronto Area鈥檚 many innovation clusters.

Despite the interruption in the BEST course, the connections with Technion did not stay dormant. Maxwell shared the BEST curriculum with t-hub counterparts who were developing new programs. This made it easier for both universities to take the next step toward planning to jointly teach a course for 91亚色 and Technion students post-pandemic, because of the commonalities and complementarities in their respective curricula.

鈥淲e are keen to see the joint course co-taught by both universities in Haifa, eventually alternating between Technion and 91亚色. This would better integrate our respective ecosystems into our partnership,鈥� said Maxwell.

Vinitha Gengatharan, assistant vice-president of global engagement and partnerships, facilitated the dinner conversation. 91亚色 participants included Susana Gajic-Bruyea, vice-president, advancement; and faculty members from the Lassonde School of Engineering; Arts, Media, Performance & Design; and the Schulich School of Business.

A recurring theme during the conversations was the people-to-people connections that have had a transformative impact and enabled the relationship.

鈥淲e learned a lot from and were touched by the hospitality of Technion faculty like Professor Shlomo Maital and Technion students who came from diverse cultural and disciplinary backgrounds,鈥� said Artem Solovey, an engineering student who participated in the BEST course before the pandemic and spoke during the evening鈥檚 lecture. 鈥淔or example, Professor Maital hosted us for a meal at his house. And Technion International also made us feel at home and helped us network with founders. It was life-changing for me.鈥�

Tarazi kept the guests attending the post-dinner events riveted with his insights. Guests were also happy to learn about the experience of 91亚色 students at Technion, the plans for the joint course in 2024 and Maital鈥檚 connection to 91亚色. Maital is the co-author of Technion Nation: Technion鈥檚 Contribution to Israel and the World (Technion, 2012). Copies of the book were available during the post-dinner reception and lecture.

鈥淚n our program, students form teams, develop ideas, learn business concepts, apply them, and finally, after two intensive and intense weeks, pitch them to experts,鈥� said Technion鈥檚 Maital, now a professor emeritus, about his pre-pandemic teaching collaboration with Maxwell. 鈥淭he Technion students with whom Lassonde students interact are four or five years older, having done compulsory army service. Israeli culture has low power distance, high tolerance for risk. One in four Technion alums eventually launch a startup, so it is invaluable for them to get to know the culture of those to whom their innovations will ultimately be sold (in North America). 91亚色 and Lassonde are relative newcomers, brash and innovative, and its students bring this mindset with them to Israel 鈥� where it is welcomed and appropriate.鈥�

Tarazi echoed this sentiment. 鈥淚 thoroughly enjoyed the afternoon and evening spent at 91亚色. I believe we can collaborate effectively and achieve a lot together.鈥�

The post 91亚色 hosts the visit of Technion鈥檚 Hub for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (t-hub) appeared first on Global Engagement.

Hadisi鈥檚 academic pursuit of refugee studies is inspired, in part, by personal experience. She was born stateless in Turkey, after her parents left Iran, and came to Canada as a toddler. Growing up, she observed the challenges her parents faced learning a new language, finding employment and gaining financial security before finding their feet.

鈥淚 can only imagine what it is like to be successful in your own country, then be unable to translate your skills when you come somewhere new due to language and finances,鈥� said Hadisi, who heads to the University of Oxford this fall.

Hadisi also struggled. Like many children of the diaspora, she felt stuck between two worlds, never feeling 100 per cent part of the community where she lived, and longing for her parents鈥� home country even though she never really knew it.

While earning her undergraduate degree at Western University in art history and museum studies, Hadisi鈥檚 understanding of the refugee experience led her to serve as president of Western鈥檚 chapter of World University Services Canada, an organization that provides refugee students scholarships to attend university in Canada. During the Syrian refugee crisis, 鈥淲e had an influx of refugees to campus in one year. It was a really unique opportunity to connect to other lived histories,鈥� she said.

鈥淚 realized the importance of higher education and access for historically oppressed and minoritized people. I thought about what I could do with this experience.鈥�

Hadisi chose to enroll in 91亚色鈥檚 Centre for Refugee Studies, which, since its inception in 1988, has been recognized as an international leader in the creation, mobilization, and dissemination of new knowledge that addresses forced migration issues in local, national and global contexts. There she worked towards her second bachelor鈥檚 degree, with an honours specialization in human rights and equity studies and a certificate in migration and refugee studies.

During that time, Hadisi volunteered at Matthew House, an organization that offers a range of support services to help refugee claimants establish new lives in Canada. She supervised mock refugee hearings, preparing claimants for the experience. Her ultimate goal was to attend graduate school somewhere with a centre for refugee and migration studies that published solid research. Yvonne Su, an assistant professor in the Department of Equity Studies, encouraged her to apply to the University of Oxford to earn her MPhil in development studies, confident Hadisi would excel there.

鈥淭egan shows tremendous potential as a scholar,鈥� said Su. 鈥淪he has exemplary interdisciplinary research skills, strong critical thinking skills and strong academic writing capabilities. In addition, she is passionate about studying topics of displacement and refuge. She has what it takes to succeed at Oxford and I look forward to seeing where her studies will take her.鈥�

Hadisi applied. 鈥淪ometimes, you need someone else to tell you just how capable you are,鈥� she said.

While taking a morning walk in early March, she decided to take a quick look at her phone while standing at a street corner and noticed one from Oxford. She assumed it was simply spam until she opened it to find an acceptance letter.

鈥淚 was stunned,鈥� Hadisi said. 鈥淚t must have showed on my face, because a passerby came up to ask me if I was all right.鈥�

Her two-year program at Oxford will begin with courses, followed by research and a thesis. Hadisi is not quite sure where she鈥檚 headed, but she is confident that she鈥檒l discover many options. She loves research, but 鈥淢y goal is to stay connected with the actual experiences of migrants and refugees, not to just sit behind a desk.鈥�

One thing of which Hadisi is certain is that she鈥檚 committed to aiding refugees and migrants. Her passion reflects 91亚色鈥檚 vision of building a better future and creating positive change, as set forth in the University Academic Plan, along with its commitment to advancing global engagement.

鈥淩efugees are so deeply connected to my own identity, and the work feels so important,鈥� Hadisi said. 鈥淚f I don鈥檛 do this, who will? Who is prioritizing these people? All the dehumanizing rhetoric is so inhumane and I can鈥檛 stand by and watch it happen.鈥�

鈥淲orking with migrants and refugees is a mutual relationship and I feel so fortunate to be part of the process. What we get in return is just as important as what we give, and we have so much to learn from people who continue to be oppressed.鈥�

As for her time at 91亚色, Hadisi is grateful. 鈥�91亚色 offered a fantastic opportunity to pursue the things I cared about and I knew I needed to take the leap,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 blinked and two years went by because I had such an incredible time at 91亚色. I made good friends and had incredibly inspiring professors; 91亚色 will always have a special place in my heart.鈥�

Originally published in YFile

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Khalid, a medical doctor and newly hired assistant professor in the School of Global Health, has the global outlook and fluency one would expect of a person born in Jordan and raised in the United Arab Emirates, who attended medical school in the Caribbean, worked in Europe and earned four post-graduate degrees (MD, PhD, MMgmt, MEd, GradCertPHM) in Canada.

He attributes his travels to 鈥渃uriosity,鈥� always eager to learn more and understand the larger picture. His first real journey abroad took place at 17 after he read an article about Chelsea Clinton, daughter of the former American president, doing an internship at the World Health Organization (WHO) in Geneva. Eager to spend a summer in Europe, the teenager鈥檚 next step was finding out what the WHO was and applying for an internship. Dr. Jose Martines, former director of WHO鈥檚 Newborn & Child Health department and Khalid鈥檚 long-time mentor, took a chance on hiring 鈥渢he youngest-ever intern at the time鈥� and his 鈥渁mazing journey with WHO informed who I am today.鈥�

Khalid spent the summer at WHO working in maternal and child health-care community interventions, giving him a glimpse of a health systems perspective that has only deepened over time. It also influenced him to attend medical school, followed by post-graduate degrees in population health, health-care leadership, medical education and health policy in order to satisfy his unending curiosity about the health-care system.

While working on his health policy PhD at McMaster University, Khalid was determined to advance the knowledge on how to . His thesis work took him to Jordan and to Lebanon to  caused by the civil war in that country.

鈥淚 saw first-hand the struggle of Syrian refugees and I was determined to help out by providing the best available evidence to decision-makers to inform their health-care policies for Syrian refugees,鈥� Khalid says.

After graduating from his PhD, Khalid was awarded the prestigious 2021 CIHR Health System Impact Fellowship with the Canadian Red Cross where he is working on implementing efforts to support real-time evidence use in humanitarian practice.

鈥淭he fellowship helped me scaffold the work I started with my PhD, making sure that all the Red Cross interventions were informed by evidence, whether they related to COVID-19, long-term care or vaccine clinics,鈥� he says. 鈥淚t was a chance to bring together my professional experience and scholarly knowledge.鈥�

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Khalid used his medical knowledge and health policy expertise by giving more than 200  where he simplified complex COVID-19 medical knowledge into easy-to-understand information for the public.

Now, Khalid, who is a member of the board of directors for M茅decins Sans Fronti猫res/Doctors Without Borders, is sharing that experience and knowledge with 91亚色 students.

鈥淢y parents always said that when you know more, you should do and give more,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 sit between professional practice and research and can intertwine those two worlds for my students.

鈥淚 see 91亚色 as a hub that combines a multi-disciplinary faculty and a student body with diverse viewpoints that is eager to learn.鈥�

Khalid is happy to call 91亚色 home and is excited to bring his worldly views and diverse professional and academic background to his fellow colleagues and students.

鈥淢y life is about intention and passion,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 will deliver the best I can with the resources I have.鈥�

Originally published in YFile

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By Elaine Smith

After his teenaged daughters were killed during an Israeli air strike in 2009, Palestinian-Canadian physician and peace activist Izzeldin Abuelaish (LLD Hons. '15) didn鈥檛 simply mourn; he kept their memories alive by creating the Daughters for Life (DFL) Foundation to offer full undergraduate scholarships that allow young women in the Middle East the opportunity for shining futures and the ability to give back to their home countries. 91亚色, as one of the organization鈥檚 newer partners, is privileged to see these talented students begin to reach their potential as scholars and members of society.

鈥淧artnership between academic institutions as 91亚色 and Daughters for Life can foster a stable and sustainable world through supporting women鈥檚 education, opportunities and role,鈥� says Dr. Abuelaish.

Eva Shenoda, a young woman from rural Egypt who is 91亚色鈥檚 first graduate of the program, says, 鈥淚 truly couldn鈥檛 imagine my life without Daughters for Life and 91亚色. It鈥檚 something I can鈥檛 express. I tell others, 鈥楧on鈥檛 be scared. It鈥檚 important to get out of your comfort zone and try new things. It makes you strong, gives you new skills and paves the way for your future. Learning is the key to opening lots of doors.鈥� 鈥�

Shenoda took hold of the DFL opportunity with both hands. After graduating from a high school specializing in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) courses, she decided that Egyptian universities weren鈥檛 equipped to offer the most up-to-date lab equipment and skills training. A friend of hers had applied to Daughters for Life for a scholarship and Shenoda followed suit. She was deemed a good match for 91亚色 and moved to Canada.

鈥淭he team at 91亚色 International (YI) was great,鈥� she says. 鈥淭hey met me at the airport, took me to residence, showed me around campus and had me participate in the international student orientation. It was the kick-start I needed because I was very shy.鈥�

Shenoda lived in residence during her four years at 91亚色, working there and with YI to earn spending money. She is extremely grateful to 91亚色 for offering her the opportunity to remain in residence during the pandemic when she couldn鈥檛 return home.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 know what I would have done without that,鈥� she says. 鈥淚t was extremely generous.鈥�

Shenoda graduated from 91亚色 in 2021 with an honours BSc degree in biology and is now at the University of Calgary working towards a master鈥檚 degree in gastrointestinal science with a specialty in immunology, supported by the university and a Faculty research grant. She envisions pursuing a research career and, possibly, a medical degree.

鈥淚 miss walking on the 91亚色 campus,鈥� Shenoda says. 鈥淢y friends in Toronto are my family in North America and 91亚色, for sure, is my home.鈥�

Rasha Aljbour Almajali, a third-year student majoring in commerce and human relations at 91亚色, grew up in Amman, Jordan, the oldest daughter of four. Her mother was the family鈥檚 sole provider and a strong believer in education. Aljbour Almajali鈥檚 DFL scholarship is her key to a university education.

Although she applied for a number of scholarships, Daughters for Life was the only one that supported her in all aspects, something that made it possible for Aljbour Almajali to study abroad.

鈥淚 had the interviews and our goals aligned,鈥� she says. 鈥淚t was amazing, honestly. The people at the program kept checking on me as if I were their own daughter. Their investment in my education humbled me and drives me even more to prove myself.

鈥淚t was my last hope. When I told my mother I had been offered the scholarship, she cried, and I cried.鈥�

Aljbour Almajali鈥檚 dreams of ultimately working at the United Nations or the World Bank so she can 鈥済ive back to the world,鈥� but plans to earn a master鈥檚 degree in international relations or public policy first. The diversity she has discovered at 91亚色 and in Toronto fascinates her.

鈥淚鈥檓 always learning something new about different religions and cultures and how people think,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 try to put myself in others鈥� shoes, thinking about how they grew up and what made them that way. It鈥檚 so interesting; I鈥檝e never been exposed to so much diversity in my life.鈥�

Dania Mahadin, another Jordanian student from Amman, is in her second year of civil engineering studies, thanks to Daughters for Life.

鈥淓veryone told me I couldn鈥檛 do engineering 鈥� an Arab, hijabi-wearing girl in a male-dominated field,鈥� Mahadin says. 鈥淚 try to challenge all of those stereotypes.鈥�

The pandemic lockdown meant Mahadin spent her first year of university study at home in Jordan, so she is new to the Keele Campus and to living alone.

鈥淚 want to engage with the community,鈥� she says. 鈥淚鈥檓 in my second year and I have never been to class in a lecture hall.鈥�

She has joined 91亚色鈥檚 Women in Science and Engineering club as a member of the executive and is busy helping to plan a winter term hacking event for high-school and university students; Mahadin is also very involved with AIESEC, an international leadership organization that works to make the world a better place.

鈥淪chool literally changed my life,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 feel like it鈥檚 home here.鈥�

Using her passion for computers, mathematics and science, Mahadin hopes to put her engineering talents to work creating buildings where people can live and gather, creating community.

鈥淚 think about how I can combine my Jordanian heritage with my Canadian influences and build a place where people can respect each other and live together in peace,鈥� Mahadin says.

Another student, Passant Metawally from Egypt, went to a STEM high school and wanted to pursue her studies further, even though, in Egypt, 鈥渨omen tend not to pursue careers in computer science and engineering.鈥�

鈥淚 decided DFL offered me the only chance to test myself as a person and academically in adapting to many different things, and I鈥檓 glad I made that choice; it has forced me to grow so much,鈥� says the fourth-year computer engineering student. 鈥淚 have adapted well.鈥�

She hasn鈥檛 yet decided between pursuing a graduate degree that integrates computers and biology or going back to Egypt to lend her talents to a thriving community of startup companies, but either option offers opportunities for further growth.

鈥�91亚色 is proud to be a partner with the Daughters for Life Foundation,鈥� says Vinitha Gengatharan, executive director of 91亚色 International. "DFL and 91亚色 share a common purpose and vision.

At 91亚色, our goals include facilitating access for success to talented students, from underrepresented or marginalized groups in Canada and beyond (namely low- and lower-middle income countries). 91亚色 covers the tuition and other expenses for these women who have, in the face of war and other adversities, performed remarkably to improve their lives and communities. The young women who have come through the program are incredibly bright and deserving of every opportunity to succeed. 91亚色 is delighted to be part of their journey.鈥�

Originally published in YFile

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Engaging, informed international education experts to kickstart each day 鈥� that鈥檚 what attendees to the upcoming Sustainable & Inclusive Internationalization Virtual Conference can expect from Jan. 20 to 22.

The conference is an effort to 鈥渞eimagine approaches in higher education in an era of uncertainty.鈥� It is a joint endeavour between 91亚色 International (YI) and the 91亚色 UNESCO Chair in Reorienting Education Towards Sustainability in collaboration with International Association of Universities (IAU), the Canadian Commission for UNESCO (CCUNESCO) and Okayama University, Japan and funded by the Academic Innovation Fund at 91亚色. It is free of charge for attendees.

鈥淭his conference aims to look at internationalization and in particular, student mobility in a world where we are also focused on ensuring that programs are inclusive and sustainable,鈥� Vinitha Gengatharan, YI鈥檚 executive director and co-chair of the conference, told YFile last month.

鈥淲e will be exploring whether this marks the end of post-secondary internationalization and the related mobility programs or if it marks the beginning of a new era based on new models of interaction and exchange.鈥�

Three sets of experts will be leading these explorations at the conference鈥檚 daily plenary sessions. The opening plenary session on Wednesday, Jan. 20, focuses on Mobility in Higher Education: A New Vision, Pressures and Opportunities for Enhanced Programs. It will feature Professor Emeritus Hans De Wit, distinguished fellow, Lynch School of Education and Human Development at Boston College; Lorna Jean Edmonds, former vice-provost of Global Affairs, Ohio University; and Francisco Marmalejo, education advisor, Qatar Foundation and former global lead of tertiary education, World Bank.

De Wit was the director of the Lynch School, a leading global research center on higher education in the global environment, from 2015-20. While at the school, he developed the MA program in International Higher Education, as well as a dual degree version of this master鈥檚 program with the Universidad de Guadalajara in Mexico.

Edmonds is an active and engaged executive, educator and scholar invested in the globalization of higher education and their role in leadership development for sustainability. She is a co-creator of the Global Strategic Framework (GSF) for the internationalization of higher education.

During his eight years at the World Bank, Marmalejo served as the global higher education lead, based in Washington, D.C., and more recently as lead higher education specialist for India and South Asia, based in Delhi. From 1995 to 2012, he served as founding executive director of the Consortium for North American Higher Education Collaboration, a network of more than 160 universities.

The second day of the virtual conference on Thursday, Jan. 21 will open with a plenary session exploring Student and International Mobility in 2030 and Beyond. The session鈥檚 chair is Liette Vasseur, president, Canadian Commission for UNESCO and UNESCO Chair on Community Sustainability: From Local to Global at Brock University, while the featured speakers are Sjur Bergan, head of the Education Department, Council of Europe, and Ethel Valenzuela, director,  (SEAMEO) Secretariat and Fabio Nascimbeni, senior expert,  (UNIMED).

Bergan leads the current Council of Europe projects on  and the . He has represented the Council of Europe in the Bologna Follow-Up Group and Board since 2000. Bergan is also series editor of the  and the author of Qualifications: Introduction to a Concept and Not by Bread Alone as well as of numerous book chapters and articles on education and higher education policy.

Valenzuela is the first female director since SEAMEO was organized in 1965. She previously served as the first female deputy director for Programme and Development of SEAMEO Secretariat and led the Educational Research and Innovation Office of SEAMEO INNOTECH. Prior to joining SEAMEO, she was director IV of the Office of Student Services and director III at the International Affairs Services in the Commission on Higher Education Philippines (1995-2006) and was responsible for foreign and local scholarship programs, academic mobility and transnational education.

狈补蝉肠颈尘产别苍颈鈥檚&苍产蝉辫;main research interests are e-learning innovation, open education and digital literacy. In addition to his work at UNIMED, he is a senior fellow of the ; a Fellow with the NEXA Center for Internet and Society; an expert evaluator of proposals for the European Commission; and co-chair of ELINET鈥檚 working group on digital literacy.

Friday, Jan. 22, day three of the conference, starts off with a plenary session addressing The Futures of Education, chaired by Hilligje Van't Land, secretary-general, International Association of Universities. The featured speakers are Dzulkifli bin Abdul Razak, rector and past president of the International Association of Universities, International Islamic University Malaysia; Larissa Bezo, president and chief executive officer, Canadian Bureau for International Education CBIE; and Noah Sobe, senior project officer, UNESCO.

Abdul Razak previously served as the 鈥巚ice-chancellor of Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) from 2000-11. He is the immediate past president of the International Association of Universities (IAU), a UNESCO-affiliated organization, based in Paris. He was the convenor of the Regional Centre for Expertise on Education for Sustainable Development based in USM beginning 2005. 

Bezo has served in senior leadership positions in both the public and not-for-profit sectors, including as deputy clerk and deputy cabinet secretary in the government of Saskatchewan, senior advisor to a Federal Royal Commission, and most recently, as interim president and chief executive officer for the Canadian Bureau for International Education.

At UNESCO, Sobe helps to lead the Futures of Education: Learning to Become initiative. Past president of the Comparative and International Education Society (CIES), he is on leave from a faculty position as professor of Cultural and Educational Policy Studies at Loyola University Chicago.

鈥淭he conference will offer us a window into the future and give us ideas about how to pursue a sustainable internationalization agenda,鈥� said Helen Balderama, associate director, International Partnerships & Programs, YI. 鈥淭ogether with our strategic partners, we have assembled a program with participants who have many years of experience in international education and a global view of the field that can only serve to inform and inspire us in our thinking as we move forward.鈥�

To take part in this exciting virtual look at the future free of charge, register at: .

By Elaine Smith, special contributing writer, 91亚色 International

Originally published in YFile

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