91亚色 will offer funding from the highly competitive Canadian Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Scholarships (QES) program to students and researchers from 91亚色, as well as partner universities in Costa Rica, Ghana and the Philippines to tackle issues at the intersection of climate change and human population displacement.

The highly competitive QES program was established in 2012 and is managed through a partnership between Universities Canada, the Rideau Hall Foundation and Canadian post-secondary institutions. To date, more than 2,600 scholars from Canada and around the world have received the award.

91亚色鈥檚 project, titled the , will direct scholarships valued at up to $10,000 to send 12 91亚色 students overseas and welcome 10 international scholars to 91亚色 over the next three years.

Professor Ali Asgary, director of CIFAL and executive director of the Advanced Disaster, Emergency and Rapid Response Simulation Lab, is academic lead for the QES project and says he is hopeful the program will inspire students to continue working in a field that needs fresh ideas and dedication.

鈥�91亚色 students will have the opportunity to visit places where they can make connections with what they are studying firsthand and get to know the challenges and complexities of these situations. They will be able to network with policymakers and researchers in other countries, and because the focus is interdisciplinary, they will get to know researchers in both climate change and population displacement.鈥�

Additionally, scholars visiting 91亚色 will provide invaluable insights to the University community on how they address these challenges in their countries, which can help inform how Canadians tackle climate change at home.

With these goals in mind, Asgary and 91亚色鈥檚 former assistant vice-president Global Engagement and Partnerships Vinitha Gengatharan, whose team is supporting the QES project, sought expert partners to bring the diverse expertise and perspectives required for this multi-continental project. At 91亚色, the new project brings together faculty leaders from 91亚色 Emergency Mitigation, Engagement, Response and Governance Institute (Y-MERGE), 91亚色鈥檚 Las Nubes campus in Costa Rica, the Centre for Refugee Studies, the  and the Dahdaleh Institute for Global Health Research.

International partners were chosen from countries specifically impacted by climate change and displacement, and include the University of Costa Rica, University of Ghana, the University of Cape Coast (Ghana), the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration and the University of the Philippines.

United Nations Institute for Training and Research鈥檚 (UNITAR), CIFAL, the Global Water Academy and Learning for a Sustainable Future, a Toronto-based NGO, are also among the external collaborators.

Amir Asif, vice-president, research and innovation, says the new scholarly exchange reflects 91亚色鈥檚 continued focus on advancing partnerships for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). 91亚色鈥檚 global partners on this project carry out compelling climate and human displacement-related  research which complements the University鈥檚 strengths and Canada鈥檚 climate diplomacy initiatives.

鈥淲e hope that through the QES, we will provide youth from Canada and around the world with unique opportunities to gain new perspectives from beyond their labs,鈥� he says, adding that addressing climate justice is essential to reduce growing social inequities. 鈥淔uture generations will need to have more empathy and stronger cross-cultural understanding. This is important to make difficult compromises and design effective climate policies that garner global consensus. It鈥檚 easy to talk about inequities without understanding what inequity looks like, in a different cultural and geographical context.鈥�

In this project, 91亚色 students attending the University of Cape Coast will have the opportunity to learn from the legacy of the transatlantic slavery at Cape Coast Castle, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and witness how the industrialized West continues to have an impact on the lives of coastal communities in Africa by contributing to rising sea levels.

Asgary notes the project will help move the global goals forward. 鈥淭his is hugely important for our future. Climate change has introduced a lot of forced or semi-forced displacement and may worsen in years to come," he says.

With files from Suzanne Bowness

Originally published on YFile.

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By Alexander Maavara

The inaugural funding call of the Global Research Excellence (GRE) Fund has concluded with 91亚色 providing over $230,000 to support international research collaboration.

Launched in the spring of 2024, the GRE Fund is a key initiative in support of Engaging the World: 91亚色鈥檚 Internationalization and Global Engagement Strategy, which prioritizes deepening international research collaborations and maximizing global research impact.

Twenty-four projects across 8 91亚色 Faculties and a number of 91亚色鈥檚 Organized Research Units (ORUs) have been funded. They have received grants of up to $30,000, involving over thirty 91亚色 faculty and dozens of collaborators from around the world. Projects are deepening international research into sustainable development, climate change adaptation & mitigation, Indigenous pedagogy, AI, disease modelling, critical minerals, LGBTQ+ rights, water sciences, urban infrastructure, migration, and autonomous systems.

GRE-funded collaborations are already advancing 91亚色鈥檚 global reach. One project has seen Faculty of Health professors Christo El Morr and Vijay Mago organize an international symposium in March 2025 titled 鈥淪haping the AI Landscape: A Multi-Disciplinary Approach to Technology, Society and the Future of Marginalized Communities鈥� in partnership with and hosted at IIT Palakkad. Bringing together philosophers, social scientists, and AI researchers, including those from many other leading Indian institutions like IIT Bombay and IISc Bangalore, the symposium was a tremendous success. It generated insights into the social impacts of AI and great potential for further collaboration.

Another notable international research collaboration is with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in astrophysics. Supported by GRE and considerable external funding, Faculty of Science Prof. Rahul Kannan and his MIT collaborator jointly recruited a Postdoctoral fellow from New 91亚色.

More than half of the 91亚色 faculty members engaged are early-career or mid-career researchers.

鈥淪upporting our emerging research leaders is vital to the long-term success of the institution鈥檚 research enterprise,鈥� states Amir Asif, Vice President of Research and Innovation. 鈥淕RE aligns with 91亚色's Internationalization and Global Engagement Strategy by fostering investigator-driven research internationalization. This approach leverages our faculty鈥檚 expertise, collaborations, and global networks to address pressing global challenges. GRE empowers our investigators to take strategic risks in establishing new or strengthening current partnerships by addressing funding gaps at various stages.鈥�

GRE is supporting projects in 23 countries, with 14 projects engaging Global South or global Indigenous partners. GRE funding is being leveraged to support everything from exploratory discussions and workshops with new partners to grant proposal development and joint personnel training. A key goal of the GRE Fund is to ensure that we facilitate tangible outcomes within a two-year time horizon and partnerships with leading international collaborators. GRE-supported projects have applied for over $16 million in Canadian and international funding opportunities, with over $500,000 in external funding already invested back into the collaborations. GRE projects have facilitated collaborations with top-ranked universities, United Nations agencies, NGOs, media, and arts & cultural organizations in North America, Latin America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and Oceania.

鈥淚nitiatives like GRE signal 91亚色鈥檚 global aspirations and vision to partners, peers, governments, and funding bodies that 91亚色 is committed to supporting collaborations that advance cutting edge and transformational research鈥� says Vinitha Gengatharan, Assistant Vice-President, Global Engagement & Partnerships. 鈥淲e hope to follow up on GRE鈥檚 inaugural success to deepen research ties and build on 91亚色鈥檚 global reputation by launching the next iteration of GRE in 2025. I greatly appreciate the Associate Vice-Presidents for Research's efforts to adjudicate and guide the GRE initiative to early success. I thank our faculty community, ADRs, research services teams, and international partners for their invaluable input in developing the GRE fund.鈥�  

GRE is designed and implemented by the Global Strategic Initiatives team, a cross-portfolio unit within 91亚色 International that works closely with the Office of the VP Research and Innovation and the Office of the President to advance the Global Engagement Strategy's research internationalization and reputation priorities. To learn more about the ground-breaking work being supported by the GRE Fund, Click Here.  

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Symposium on Shell鈥檚 legacy in Niger Delta and what comes next brings diverse group of scholars and activists to 91亚色鈥檚 Keele Campus

April 9, 2025, TORONTO 鈥� With the Shell company having finalized the sale of assets in Nigeria鈥檚 Niger Delta, questions remain for those who fought against decades of human rights and environmental abuses in the region: How do you keep Shell accountable for the damage they鈥檝e done? Will divestment be more than a clever PR ploy for big oil and gas?

These questions bring together a diverse group of scholars, community leaders, activists, legal experts and international advocates to 91亚色 April 10 and 11, for the two-day symposium: From the Niger Delta, Nigeria to the World - Charting a Global Just Transition Agenda.

The legacy of oil pollution and human rights abuses in the Niger Delta are one of the worst, with Shell even being accused of being complicit in the Nigerian state鈥檚 secret sentencing and killing of activists in the 1990s, says Environment and Urban Change Prof. , one of the organizers of the event. 

鈥淎rguably, attention to injustice in the region spurred corporate social responsibility as an industrial movement and was central to creating the environmental justice movement globally. This symposium is an opportunity to take a hard look at this legacy of corporate abuse, resistance, and what comes next,鈥� says Zalik. 

From the earliest days of colonization in Nigeria, the British identified Niger Delta as economically useful for resource extraction, and, for the last 60 years, Shell has been involved in oil and gas extraction in the region. 

Informed by a report put together by the Bayelsa State Oil and Environmental Commission, which declares Shell鈥檚 legacy in the region as an environmental genocide, the symposium examines the prospects for a global just transition. 

鈥淲hen the word divestment is used 鈥� Shell for example dumping toxic assets on so-called local companies and shirking their historic responsibility to clean up鈥� what does it really mean? There are questions regarding the limitations of the whole idea of just transition,鈥� says 91亚色 PhD alum Isaac Asume Osuoka, a former Vanier scholar and one of the authors of the Bayelsa Report who will chair the discussion on the report at the symposium.

鈥淭his听91亚色 conference is an opportunity to address those gaps in terms of how this conversation has been framed in dominant discourses.鈥澨�

The symposium will be held this Thursday and Friday at 91亚色 at 519  at 91亚色鈥檚 Keele Campus, with global environmental justice activist, author, architect, think-tank director and 91亚色 Honorary Doctorate Nnimmo Bassey giving the keynote speech on Thursday at 3 p.m.  can attend virtually for those unable to make it in person. 

Originally published in News@91亚色.

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As tributes pour in from around the world following the passing of听Ratan Tata passing, the University is lauding the global visionary鈥檚 contributions to internationalization of education.
Tata has played a significant role in strengthening India-Canada relations not only through business operations in Canada, but also as a regular contributor to the higher-education sector, maintaining ties with universities, including offering motivational lectures and master classes to business students.

Tata forged a relationship that served as a guiding force in establishing its business school in India. 鈥�91亚色 community is deeply saddened by the passing of the extraordinary global icon and an esteemed friend to 91亚色,鈥� said Vinitha Gengatharan, Assistant Vice-President, Global Engagement & Partnerships at 91亚色 International, paying tribute to the legendary businessman and philanthropist.  鈥淗is tremendous support helped shape our Hyderabad Campus will be cherished.鈥� 

Tata was a founding member of 91亚色鈥檚 India Advisory Council announced during opening of the University鈥檚 Hyderabad Campus in September 2014. Earlier that year, Tata was recognized with an Honorary Doctor of Laws by 91亚色.

, he said: 鈥淚 had no idea that this university and this business school 鈥� moved beyond the shores of Canada to reflect the internationality of the world we live in.鈥� He added, 鈥淛ust remember that there are millions of people who are less fortunate than you are and that hopefully of the achievement you will make in your life will be making a difference.鈥�

At the ceremony, Dezso J. Horvath, then dean of the Schulich School of Business, praised Tata as one of the great architects of modern India and a global visionary in business.

Horvath noted that Tata embodies core values taught at the business school 鈥� a global mindset, commitment to excellence and innovation, as well as a resolute belief that business can improve society.

Gengatharan also notes that Tata鈥檚 commitment to sustainability and social responsibility echoed and inspired 91亚色鈥檚 own.

Originally published in New@91亚色.

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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听Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences听hosted by 91亚色 that led to his current work/study student opportunity.听

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听听attended the president's reception. For additional information, students are encouraged to visit 91亚色鈥檚听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 91亚色 Emergency Mitigation, Engagement, Response & Governance Institute (Y-EMERGE) has established a partnership with the Research & Innovation Centre at the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS-RIC) in Rwanda that will bring AIMS PhD students to 91亚色 to pursue their research in mathematical modelling as a tool for addressing climate change.

The project, called Human Capacity Building in Climate Change and Health in Africa, is being jointly funded by 91亚色 International (YI) and Global Affairs Canada鈥檚 Canadian International Development Scholarships 2030 program, marking the first external grant to Y-EMERGE. It is also the first time 91亚色 International has matched funds on this scale in support of an international research endeavour.

鈥�91亚色 International is delighted that our researchers were able to leverage C$25,000 in matching funds to secure a significantly larger external grant for an impactful international research collaboration,鈥� said Vinitha Gengatharan, assistant vice-president of global engagement at YI. 鈥淭he money will be used to top up scholarships for up to six female PhD students coming to 91亚色, as well as to provide emergency bursaries for any PhD student travelling to 91亚色 for this program.鈥� 

As part of the project, 10 PhD students from the AIMS Research & Innovation Centre will each spend a year at 91亚色 between 2025 and 2028 to advance their work with mathematical modelling and climate change. Y-EMERGE will be hosting the program, with 91亚色 International assisting in helping the students to feel at home. Participating students will have the opportunity to develop their research by working with experts in their areas of interest.听

AIMS is no stranger to 91亚色 U; the institutions have previously collaborated on infectious disease modelling for influenza and COVID-19.

For Professor Jude Kong, founder and director of the University鈥檚 Africa-Canada Artificial Intelligence & Data Innovation Consortium (ACADIC) and a native of Cameroon, this collaboration is a passion project. He believes a focus on climate change and health is imperative, as the African continent is already feeling the effects of climate change.

鈥淲e鈥檒l take the modelling experience present at 91亚色鈥檚 Y-EMERGE, as well as ACADIC and AIMS, to ensure we build the capacity to model climate change in Africa,鈥� said Kong. 鈥淐limate change is coming and the situation is worsening in Africa. It will affect health in a way that has never happened before, and we鈥檒l be able to build responsible models with an understanding of the local dynamics. 鈥� We鈥檒l be using local expertise, so the results will be locally relevant, decolonized and intersectional.鈥�

Professor Jianhong Wu, director of Y-EMERGE, is equally committed to the project.

鈥淲e consider this to not just be the beginning of an intensive collaboration with the AIMS Research & Innovation Centre in particular, but AIMS in general,鈥� he said.

Professor Wilfred Ndifon, president of the AIMS Research & Innovation Centre, added, 鈥淔or us at the institutional level, we have achieved our successes thanks to partnerships like the one we have with 91亚色.鈥�

To help facilitate this long-term partnership, Y-EMERGE is forming a college of mentors to work with the AIMS students and establishing an advisory board to guide the growing Africa-Canada collaboration in mathematical modelling.

鈥淲e want the students to not only get excellent training but to grow their careers and begin to build up their own networks,鈥� Wu said. 鈥淭he students who come to 91亚色 to train will be ambassadors for collaboration between the African continent and Canada in mathematical sciences.鈥�

Kong is excited by the opportunity to build capacity on his home continent through a 鈥渢rain-the-trainers鈥� model.

鈥淲hen these students return home, they will be sent to other AIMS centres to make data actionable,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e need homegrown talent, rather than people from the Global North, to teach others [in Africa]. 91亚色 is one of the many institutions that have reached out to help AIMS change the paradigm, and it is committing funding because they don鈥檛 view this as a one-off.鈥�

Originally published in YFile.

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TORONTO, June 12, 2024 鈥� 91亚色 champions sustainability and actively makes positive changes in local and global communities through its work on the United Nations鈥� Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Today鈥檚 2024 Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Rankings announcement recognizes that work as 91亚色 jumped five places to rank 35th in the world. 

91亚色鈥檚 overall ranking increased despite stiffer competition than last year with about 2,100 participating universities 鈥� approximately 300 more universities than previously. 91亚色 also shot up 19 spots for zero poverty (SDG 1) to number two in the world and number one in Canada, and ranked number one in Canada for reduced inequalities (SDG 10).  

THE Impact Rankings assesses universities around the world against the UN SDGs in research, stewardship, outreach and teaching.听听

鈥淭his is a University-wide achievement by our students, staff and faculty to demonstrably make a positive impact to the sustainable development goals through research, teaching, creativity and innovation,鈥� says Rhonda Lenton, president and vice-chancellor of 91亚色. 鈥淲e have done particularly well in SDGs that align most strongly with our values as a University, including zero poverty, reduced inequalities, and sustainable cities and communities. I am proud that we continue to be recognized for our leadership in building a more sustainable and inclusive world.鈥� 

91亚色 also ranked 13th for sustainable cities and communities (SDG 11) and has moved up more than 30 spots to 35th in the world for SDG 17, local and global partnerships. The University鈥檚 dedication to advancing SDGs is embedded in its鈥�University Academic Plan 2020-2025.鈥疘n addition, 91亚色 placed in the top 50 worldwide for gender equality (SDG 5), responsible consumption and production (SDG 12), and peace justice and strong institutions (SDG 16). 

The University supports reduced poverty through its听鈥榮 Parkdale Community Legal Services program, established in 1971, and Community Legal Aid Services, both of which provide legal assistance to lower income Toronto area residents. In addition, 91亚色 hosts the听Canadian Observatory on Homelessness听.听

By providing $1 million in support of Indigenous research and working with refugees at the Centre for Refugee Studies for more than 35 years, 91亚色 is working to reduce inequality. Some 16,000 of 91亚色鈥檚 students are the first in their family to attend university. The institutional values of social justice, progressiveness, inclusivity, sustainability and excellence are infused into its Decolonizing, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy, Framework and Action Plan on Black Inclusion, and the , including the establishment of a dedicated Indigenous Research Ethics Board at 91亚色 鈥� the first for a post-secondary institution in Canada. 

As academic lead of the  and through its new Organized Research Unit, OneWATER, the University is helping to develop equitable and integrated solutions to local and global water challenges. 

Through its听Disaster and Emergency Management听program and听UNITAR鈥檚 CIFAL 91亚色, which serves as a hub for knowledge exchange and capacity building, the University is boosting sustainable cities and communities. 91亚色 has held more than 200 music, drama and art public event days, and hosted free Nuit Blanche campus art installations in partnership with the City of Toronto.听听

91亚色鈥檚 extensive network of partners and commitment to community-centred research have helped make possible a new Markham Campus 鈥� opening this fall in the heart of one of the most diverse and dynamic urban communities in the province 鈥� and a new, first-of-its kind School of Medicine to train primary care physicians. The University intends to offer a two-year bridging pathway for students who may not have considered a career in medicine or health to enhance access, equality and diversity within the health professions, as well as health equity for the people of Ontario. 

Partnering with more than 50 organizations, including Queen鈥檚 University, industries, hospitals, governments and community partners, Connected Minds: Neural and Machine Systems for a Healthy, Just Society will help tackle the risks of breakthroughs in technology to vulnerable populations while promoting social health and justice for all, especially Indigenous Peoples in Canada. 91亚色 received a record $318-million in funding for鈥痶he Connected Minds program. 

Being named one of  in 2024鈥痜or the 12th consecutive year and one of , further highlights 91亚色鈥檚 work in diversity and sustainability across our multiple campuses. 91亚色 also continues to have a strong global position in the  once again landing in the top 400 worldwide. 

91亚色 supports the UN SDGs through these and many other initiatives as part of what it has always done best 鈥� contribute to positive change.  

Learn more about how the 91亚色 community is advancing the听UN SDGs.听

Originally published in News@91亚色.

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Members of the 91亚色 Emergency Mitigation, Engagement, Response, & Governance Institute (Y-EMERGE) have travelled to the Philippines to establish a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the country鈥檚 Civil Defense Training Institute (CDTI).

Earlier in 2024,听Ali Asgary听and听Eric Kennedy,听professors of disaster and emergency management and associate directors of Y-EMERGE 鈥� a 91亚色 Organized Research Unit dedicated to research and training in disaster risk reduction and emergency preparedness 鈥� were invited to Manila for the launch of CDTI and the MOU signing ceremony.

The partnership 鈥� and trip 鈥� grew out of an earlier visit to the Philippines by Provost and Vice-President Academic Lisa Phillips in November 2023 (as part of the Universities Canada Partnership Mission) where queries emerged about areas of specialization that 91亚色 had in common with the country and its researchers.

Because the Philippines is ranked among the most disaster-prone countries in the world, and 91亚色鈥檚 Y-EMERGE is a national leader in emergency management, a natural fit was quickly found.

Asgary and Kennedy travelled to Manila in March for the official MOU signing, which also included a discussion about short-, medium- and long-term collaborations with 91亚色. CDTI was very interested in the work of 91亚色鈥檚  (ADERSIM) team 鈥� where Asgary is a core scientist 鈥� as well as the University鈥檚 technology and training.

鈥淲e had great discussions with the senior people there,鈥� Asgary says. 鈥淭hey are keen to collaborate, knowing that 91亚色 has strong research and training expertise in disaster management. This formal collaboration initiative through the MOU makes it more impactful.鈥�

The agreement is especially meaningful, since 2024 marks the 75^th anniversary of Canada-Philippines diplomatic relations.

The professors also used the trip to further other 91亚色 partnerships, collaborate and make new contacts. Asgary and Kennedy connected with CDTI personnel, and visited with disaster and emergency management experts at the University of the Philippines鈥� Resilience Institute. They also met with CIFAL Philippines, a sister organization to CIFAL 91亚色 鈥� both part of the United Nations Institute for Training & Research.

鈥淲e used this trip as a way to advance University partnerships in areas where 91亚色 has exceptional strengths,鈥� Kennedy says. 鈥淏uilding collaborative relationships with institutions in the Philippines is a natural connection point, given both sides have significant expertise in disaster and emergency management 鈥� and given the many hazards, including volcanoes, typhoons and earthquakes, faced in the Philippines.

鈥淭he idea is to build mutual learning, collaboration and opportunities for exchange. Our new CDTI partners have an incredible amount of lived experience in managing a wide variety of hazards. Creating relationships and partnerships is so much more valuable than simply importing solutions. The best programs are born out of collaboration, so we are eager to work together to build resilience, conduct research and train the next generation of emergency leaders.鈥�

The first product of the new partnership will be a monthly virtual speaker series about climate change displacement, an issue that is a focus for CIFAL Philippines, the Resilient Institute and the CDTI, which will begin in June as a way to share expertise and resources. It is a practical first step for the partners to undertake, but it promises to be the first of many, including research collaborations and potential student exchanges.

Asgary and Kennedy also met with numerous faculty members at the University of the Philippines for a presentation about some of their current projects and a tour of their various labs. They were able to assess where synergies exist and connect 91亚色 colleagues with researchers who have similar interests.

In addition, Asgary, a specialist in volcanic emergencies and emergency simulations, and Kennedy, an expert in wildfire emergencies and decision-making during disasters, were each able to find commonalities with Filipino researchers and consider individual research collaborations.

Asgary also had the opportunity to visit two active volcanoes, as well as volcano observatories, facilitated by CDTI and their regional directors, and is already busy in working on simulations used for planning and training.

鈥淲e can now broker mutually beneficial connections and match up teams in both directions,鈥� Kennedy says. 鈥淚t was also a fruitful space to foster relationships beyond those with our three official partners. At the launch, we met representatives from a variety of organizations with overlapping interests, such as the World Food Programme and the International Organization for Migration.

鈥淚t is so important that 91亚色 prioritizes this kind of in-person relationship building. There are a lot of ways to sustain relationships in the virtual world, but they are built on the foundation of in-person relationships. In-person connections are incredibly valuable.鈥�

Vinitha Gengatharan, 91亚色鈥檚 assistant vice-president, global engagement, says Asgary and Kennedy are modelling the type of relationship the University is eager to create with its international partners.

鈥淜nowledge sharing, respect and mutually enriching collaboration are vital ingredients for successful international partnerships,鈥� Gengatharan says. 鈥淎li and Eric set the standard for the type of relationships we continue to build worldwide.鈥�

The seeds of this relationship may have just been planted, but they are already bearing fruit.

Originally published in YFile.

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By Corey Allen, senior manager, research communications

As a world leader in global health research, 91亚色 is fully committed to international collaborations across multiple sectors with academic, government, industry and community partners. Among those highlighting the impact of these partnerships is Professor Godfred Boateng. 

Forging strong relationships beyond geographical boundaries enables the 91亚色 community to conduct meaningful work that defines the University鈥檚 approach to research and innovation: interdisciplinary, collaborative and equitable.  

Among those leading the way in this is Boateng, a quantitative sociologist and epidemiologist who was recently appointed听Canada Research Chair (CRC) in Global Health and Humanitarianism.听

One of Boateng鈥檚 latest research projects is related to his CRC appointment, which aims to measure and quantify different forms of resource insecurity, including food, water, energy and housing, as well as to advance our understanding of the overall health effects of environmental contaminants, both in the Global South and in Canada. This work exemplifies, he said, the importance of having international partners and collaboration.  

鈥淧artnerships are key and without them, global health research isn鈥檛 possible,鈥� he said. 鈥�91亚色鈥檚 partnerships in the Global South greatly expand the scope of my research and allow me to reach populations and communities that would not be accessible otherwise.鈥�  

Boateng鈥檚 project looks to collect physiological, ecological, and demographic data from informal settlements in sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America.  

Using high-cost field equipment, the researchers will assess the quality of the air and water samples (stored, drinking and groundwater) found in and around the settlements.  

The data will be used to validate scales, like the Household Water Insecurity Experiences Scale, co-developed by Boateng for use by public health practitioners, non-governmental organizations, government officials, and development agencies to monitor and assess progress on targets set out in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals around achieving equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water, as well as adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene. 

This is particularly important in sub-Saharan Africa, where flooding due to climate change is a considerable health risk and bacterial infections like dysentery and waterborne illnesses like cholera are widespread.  

The scales would help researchers and health-care professionals to assign a score to the environmental contaminants found in settlement households, which enables them to determine if water, for example, is safe for consumption without the need for further testing.听听

For local governments, this would streamline water, air, and housing quality assessments and provide valuable information to inform health-care policy and decision-making.  

鈥淥ur project will also produce the necessary data for comparative studies, so that this evidence can be used in other contexts, including in some Indigenous communities in Canada that face similar resource insecurity challenges,鈥� said Boateng.  

The project is slated to start this summer with 300 households in Accra, Ghana, alongside Boateng鈥檚 partners from his alma mater, the University of Ghana, and the University of Cape Coast, before moving onto research sites in Nigeria, Kenya and Malawi, and subsequently to Colombia and Mexico.  

Last month, Boateng was also part of a 91亚色 delegation that visited Ghana, Nigeria and Kenya. The Africa trip helped the University engage with prospective students and explore partnership opportunities with local universities and research institutions.  

For Boateng, studying global health helps bridge the inequality divide.   

鈥淚t鈥檚 important to identify the sources of health disparities and the structural determinants of health, so that proper interventions can be put in place,鈥� he said.  

鈥淕lobal health research, when applied, can not only enhance the quality of life for the world鈥檚 most vulnerable populations 鈥� women, children and seniors 鈥� but it also has life-saving potential for people worldwide. It鈥檚 teamwork at its best.鈥�  

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Originally published in YFile.

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鈥淏uilding international, values-driven partnerships underscores 91亚色鈥檚 dedication to working together cross-culturally to address critical world issues,鈥� said Rhonda Lenton, president and vice-chancellor of 91亚色. 鈥淭he GRE Fund is an investment in the transformative work of the 91亚色 community and will provide mutually beneficial opportunities for our researchers, students and partners to continue to translate research outcomes into social and economic benefits in Canada and beyond.鈥�

The fund is available in two GRE funding streams: Stream A focuses on strategic partnership exploration and development, while Stream B focuses on advancing multilateralism by supporting the University鈥檚 knowledge mobilization collaborations with multilateral organizations and platforms.

The funding ranges from $5,000 to $30,000 per recipient for Stream A and $5,000 to $15,000 per recipient for Stream B.

For the inaugural call, 91亚色 faculty who meet the eligibility requirements can apply for the fund beginning May 2024 through to April 2025. The fund has rolling deadlines to enable faculty to respond to external opportunities.

Establishment of the fund is the latest action to be realized from Engaging the World: 91亚色鈥檚 Internationalization and Global Engagement Strategy (GES), 2022-27, which recognized the importance of creating a seed fund to further international research partnerships.

The fund is a joint initiative of the President鈥檚 Office, the Office of the Provost and Vice-President Academic, and the Office of the Vice-President Research & Innovation, co-ordinated by the Global Strategic Initiatives team at 91亚色 International. The fund was developed in consultation with 91亚色 Faculties, researchers and international partners.

To learn more about the GRE Fund, eligibility and requirements, click听here.

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