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Summer course opens door for students missing numeracy skills 

Students from LAPS


By Elaine Smith 

The Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies (LA&PS) at York University has created a new summer course to assist students without Grade 12 math skills to acquire the knowledge they need to enter math-dependent university programs in the fall. 

In the summer of 2023, LA&PS introduced a pilot, Mathematics for Liberal Arts & Professional Studies, a 12U Math waiver class, to help address the numeracy shortfall experienced by many incoming students. The non-degree, online synchronous course was open to all incoming students required to complete a 12U Math course to meet their condition for admission, or to any York University undergraduate students required to complete a mathematics pre-requisite for an eligible program – such as economics and bachelor of commerce. Thanks to the success of the course, LA&PS plans to offer it again in Summer 2024. 

Robert McKeown
Robert McKeown

“We wanted to make sure these students had the math they needed to learn more advanced topics once they arrived at York, such as linear algebra and calculus,” said Robert McKeown, an assistant professor (teaching stream) of economics, who helped create the curriculum alongside members of the LA&PS Numeracy Steering Committee. McKeown also played a pivotal role in overseeing the development of the instructors’ weekly lessons and assessment components for the course.  

The course ran twice a week for 12 weeks. It covered polynomial functions and some probability and statistics, and was structured like a standard university course with two tests and a final, along with asynchronous class activities.

Mona Frial Brown
Mona Frial Brown

Mona Frial-Brown, director of student success for LA&PS, said the course has been a few years in the making, first proposed by LA&PS academic advisors and Sean Kheraj, the former vice-dean and associate dean of programs. It provides a pathway for LA&PS students, so they aren’t required to return to high school to obtain the necessary skills. Previously, students were able to take a relevant course at the School of Continuing Studies, but it no longer exists. 

“Sean wanted us to think about a non-credit option that was equivalent to an advanced functions course,” said Frial-Brown, who also credits former associate dean Anita Lam and the LA&PS Numeracy Steering Committee, who created the Student Numeracy Assistance Centre at Keele (SNACK). “Numeracy is closely linked to student success, and this initiative is focused on improving access. It was a collaborative effort, and being a part of it from start to finish was a rewarding experience.” 

The collaboration drew on the skills of a variety of people and teams. The LA&PS recruitment and academic advising teams were involved in promoting the course to students. York’s recruitment and admissions team were involved in developing offer letters and explaining to applicants that acceptance was conditional on passing the course. Once the curriculum was created, Marc Anderson, a learning technology support specialist from eLearning Services, built the content in eClass. SNACK peer tutors got involved in assisting the students who took the pilot class. Maggie Quirt, the current associate dean of programs at LA&PS, also had a hand. 

“It’s a baby I delivered this summer,” Frial-Brown added with a laugh. “In addition, it’s not just a course; it marks the beginning of a non-degree framework for the Faculty. We might consider other non-degree courses, so we wanted to carefully plan this pilot program and create a structure for the non-degree landscape. We consulted with colleagues across the University, including the Faculty of Health, where non-degree courses are already offered, and established a framework for enrolment, admissions and course payment. Many factors were at play.”

Neil Bucklkey
Neil Bucklkey

Neil Buckley, current associate dean of teaching and learning for LA&PS, who was involved with the Numeracy Steering Committee throughout the development and launch of the class, added, “There is a huge move in education for micro-credentials, some for credit and some not. This was a great opportunity for LA&PS to pilot test a non-academic course.” 

The class drew 61 students, almost half of them international students. This meant breaking the class into two sections to make it accessible from various time zones. One class met online in the mornings; the other in the evenings. All but one of the students passed the class.  

“At the end of the semester, we are planning to assess the success of the participants to see how well they performed in their courses compared to students who took the course in high school and see if success varies according to discipline,” said Buckley. 

The team will also follow them through the next few years to determine if the course has an impact on retention. 

“This course opens the door to a larger, more diverse group of students,” Buckley said. “It helps us achieve access and equity. We pride ourselves on being student-centric, and this offers students flexibility.” 

Frial-Brown is equally enthusiastic. 

“I’m truly proud of this project,” she said. “It was a genuine collaborative effort aimed at achieving a common goal, which was to provide access to our students. We’ve witnessed its successful development with thanks to everyone involved and with the backing of senior leadership.” 

YCAR launches lecture series on climate change

Heavily industrialized area with clouds of pollution looming in the sky at sunset, pollution, haze, smog

The York Centre for Asian Research (YCAR) is launching a new lecture series, titled “Climate Dystopias in Asia,” set to begin Nov. 22 and explore the relationship between climate change challenge and societal impact throughout Asia.

The “Climate Dystopias in Asia” series will feature scholars presenting their research and findings on the complex relationship between environmental shifts and societal impacts in Asia, focusing on the various adaptations that communities and organizations are undertaking in response to these challenges.

“Asia, as we know, is warming faster than the global average. It increasingly faces extreme weather events like floods, droughts and heat waves that significantly impact lives and livelihoods. To put the spotlight on climate challenges that cities, coasts and hinterlands face in different parts of Asia, we will invite scholars from interdisciplinary backgrounds to offer grounded analyses of the complexities and limitations of climate adaptation strategies,” says Professor Shubhra Gururani, the director of YCAR.

Kasia Paprocki
Kasia Paprocki

The inaugural lecture of the series will feature Professor Kasia Paprocki from the Department of Geography & Environment at the London School of Economics & Political Science. The in-person talk, titled “Threatening Dystopias: Development, Scientific Knowledge and Adaptation to Climate Change,” will draw on Paprocki’s book, also named Threatening Dystopias, that examines the politics of climate change adaptation in Bangladesh.

By situating climate change in a longer history of growth and development, Paprocki will explore the oversimplified crisis narratives that define Bangladesh’s approach towards climate change. In global climate change policy and media circles, Bangladesh is the poster child for climate disasters related to rising sea levels and is often portrayed as “the world’s most vulnerable country to climate change.” Paprocki will critically evaluate these narratives and offer an analysis that digs deeper and shows how the prevailing storyline may overlook the political and economic forces that contour Bangladesh’s climate geography.

The talk will draw on Paprocki’s research and publications’ focus on climate change adaptation in South Asia, specifically in Bangladesh. Forging a conversation between political ecology, agrarian studies, climate change and risk narratives, Paprocki will examine the narrative of climate change as it circulates in Bangladesh and situate the responses to climatic change in the deeper histories of colonial policies and agrarian politics of land and underdevelopment.

“With this event and the series more generally, we hope to offer a platform for a deeper understanding of the nuanced interactions between environmental challenges and societal change in Asia,” says Gururani.

Read more about the speaker here at kasiapaprocki.com.

More information about the series can be accessed here.

OsgoodePD introduces three new courses for internationally trained lawyers

Two women students in a law class

Osgoode Professional Development’s Professional LLM in Canadian Common Law program is introducing a new stream of practice skills courses next fall. Developed by Audrey Fried, OsgoodePD’s director of faculty and curriculum development, in partnership with instructors Shelley Kierstead and Germán Morales Farah, the new courses offer students the opportunity to integrate their substantive knowledge and skills from several courses in a way that simulates the realities of Canadian legal practice.

“We are really excited about the opportunity to offer this suite of courses, which are unique in integrating substantive law and practice skills in a way that meets the needs of our Professional LLM students,” said Fried. “And these courses are a natural fit for OsgoodePD, building on our experience with simulated clients and problem-based learning, and drawing on the expertise of Professor Paul Maharg and experienced instructors like Professor Shelley Kierstead and Germán Morales.”

In Canadian Legal Strategy, Research and Writing (CCLW 6609), students will go beyond the basic legal research and writing skills by drawing on material from Professional Responsibility and Constitutional Law courses to develop interview, communication and strategy skills. They will learn how these skills work together with legal research and writing to serve the needs of clients. Students will deploy their newly gained knowledge in authentic tasks as they are called on to draft practice documents and write memoranda of law, opinion letters and demand letters.

In Canadian Business Transactions (CCLW 6638), students will move from a solid foundation in Canadian law related to corporate and commercial transactions into exercises involving communication, strategy, drafting and negotiation. Students will prepare practice documents, plan due diligence, conduct or review selected regulatory searches and negotiate key terms of a transaction.

The third new course, Capstone: Canadian Law in Practice (CCLW 6610), further builds on those newly acquired skills as students work in a virtual firm environment, completing both a litigation and a transactional file and engaging in structured reflection of these new skills and experiences. The course will also focus on building client relationships.

These new course offerings will help internationally trained lawyers meld practical experience from other jurisdictions with Canadian substantive law and practice techniques.

Applicants with an international law degree are encouraged to apply to the OsgoodePD Professional LLM in Canadian Common Law program by Jan. 15, 2024. For more information about the program, the new course offerings and how to apply, visit the program website.

Glendon College leads conversation about future of Arctic security

Arctic lake in Canada

La version française suit la version anglaise. 

A panel of experts will debate how to best prepare for the profound changes that lie ahead in the North in a discussion on Nov. 29 organized by York University’s Glendon College.

The Glendon Global Debates return this month to examine the impact of global warming on the economic and social life of the people who call the Arctic home and for all those to the south.

The Arctic is warming faster than the global average, making the prospect of ice-free Arctic waterways open to commercial traffic a possibility in the near future. Such an ice-free east-west passage would establish the shortest route for the transfer of goods between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. These changes are being monitored closely by nations far from the Arctic; for example, China has declared itself to be a near-Arctic state.

Aleqa Hammond, former prime minister of Greenland and a panellist at the upcoming event, contends that “Russia and China are already eyeing the Arctic and the region risks becoming the new frontline for confrontation between great powers.” The Canadian Security Intelligence Service has warned Inuit leaders that foreign states could gain a foothold by offering to fill infrastructure gaps in the North.

Canada shares the arctic space with a number of other countries including Denmark, Greenland, Iceland, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Russia and the U.S. Nearly 40 per cent of Canada’s land mass is considered Arctic and northern. Canada and Russia claim ownership of three-quarters of the coastline, and this represents more than 70 per cent of Canada’s coastline.

Gabrielle Slowey
Gabrielle Slowey

Recently named the inaugural Fulbright Chair in Arctic Studies at Dartmouth College (U.S.), Professor Gabrielle Slowey now teaches courses in Canadian, Indigenous and Arctic politics at York University. Her research investigates the intersection between Indigenous people, governance, resource extraction and the environment.

“There has to be a human dimension to Arctic security; people have to be part of the process, discussion and solution,” said Slowey, who will bring her unique perspective to the conversation.

The development of safe Arctic transportation routes also opens the possibility for increased economic development, including resource extraction. These activities will have a profound impact on the economic and social life of the people who call the Arctic home, as well as those far beyond.

Professor Kari Roberts from Mount Royal University has made the study of Russia-West relations her life’s work and has spent many years studying Russia’s interests in the Arctic and what this means for Canada and NATO.

“It is rarely in the interest of any state to disrupt geopolitical order,” said Roberts, who will join Hammond and Slowey on the panel. “And it is even less advantageous for Arctic states, including Russia, to further undermine the historically peaceful and co-operative relationships in the region, which are now being tested in the current geopolitical moment.”

Countries like Canada and Greenland have stated that the Arctic is central to their national identity, prosperity, security, values and interests. This conversation, hosted by the Glendon Global Debates, will explore what concrete actions should underpin these statements.

Moderated by Susan Pond, director of the Glendon School of Public & International Affairs, this hybrid event will explore opportunities and possible threats afforded by a warming Arctic region.

Join the event on Nov. 29, alongside distinguished guests, and become a part of this crucial conversation.

Register here: eventbrite.ca/e/arctic-security-are-we-ready-for-the-future-tickets-754666205937?aff=oddtdtcreator.

For those wishing to join virtually, the debate will also be livestreamed. A link to the event will be shared with all registered participants via email a few hours prior to the event.

The debate will be conducted in English. We invite the audience to ask questions in either French or English.

Le Collège Glendon mène la conversation sur l’avenir de la sécurité dans l’Arctique

Un panel d’experts débattront la meilleure façon de se préparer aux profonds changements qui s’annoncent dans le Nord lors d’une discussion organisée le 29 novembre par le Collège Glendon de l’Université York. 

Alors que la région risque de devenir le nouveau front de confrontation entre les puissances mondiales, les Débats internationaux de Glendon sont de retour pour examiner l’impact sur la vie économique et sociale des habitants de l’Arctique et de tous ceux au sud. 

L’Arctique se réchauffe à un rythme plus rapide que la moyenne mondiale, offrant ainsi la perspective de voies maritimes arctiques sans glace qui pourraient bientôt être utilisées pour la navigation commerciale. Un passage est-ouest sans glace établirait la route la plus courte pour le transfert de marchandises entre les océans Atlantique et Pacifique. Ces changements sont surveillés de près par des nations éloignées de l’Arctique. Par exemple, la Chine s’est déclarée un État proche de l’Arctique. 

Aleqa Hammond, ancienne Première ministre du Groenland et panéliste invitée, affirme que « la Russie et la Chine surveillent déjà l’Arctique et que la région risque de devenir le nouveau front de confrontation entre les puissances mondiales ». Le Service canadien du renseignement de sécurité (SCRS) a d’ailleurs déjà averti les leaders Inuits que des États étrangers pourraient prendre pied en comblant les lacunes en matière d’infrastructures dans le Nord. 

Le Canada partage l’arctique avec plusieurs autres pays, dont le Danemark, le Groenland, l’Islande, la Finlande, la Norvège, la Suède, la Russie et les États-Unis. Près de 40% de la géographie du Canada est considérée comme arctique et nordique. Le Canada et la Russie revendiquent la propriété des trois quarts du littoral, ce qui représente plus de 70% du littoral canadien. 

Récemment nommée Chaire Fulbright inaugurale en études arctiques au Dartmouth College (États-Unis), la professeure Gabrielle Slowey enseigne maintenant des cours en politique canadienne, autochtone et arctique à l’Université York. Ses recherches examinent l’intersection entre les peuples autochtones, la gouvernance, l’extraction de ressources et l’environnement. 

 « Il doit y avoir une dimension humaine à la sécurité arctique : les gens doivent faire partie du processus, de la discussion et de la solution », a déclaré Slowey, qui apportera également sa perspective unique à la conversation.  

Le développement de routes de transport arctiques sûres ouvre également la possibilité d’un développement économique accru, y compris l’extraction de ressources. Ces activités auront un impact profond sur la vie économique et sociale des habitants de l’Arctique, ainsi que de ceux bien au-delà. 

La professeure Kari Roberts de l’Université Mount Royal a fait de l’étude des relations entre la Russie et l’Occident le travail de sa vie et a passé de nombreuses années à étudier les intérêts de la Russie dans l’Arctique et ce que cela signifie pour le Canada et l’OTAN.  

« Il est rarement dans l’intérêt de tout État de perturber l’ordre géopolitique. Et il est encore moins avantageux pour les États arctiques, y compris la Russie, de compromettre davantage les relations historiquement pacifiques et coopératives dans la région, qui sont actuellement mises à l’épreuve dans le contexte géopolitique actuel », a déclaré Roberts, qui rejoindra Hammond et Slowey sur le panel. 

Des pays comme le Canada et le Groenland ont affirmé que l’Arctique est au cœur de leur identité nationale, de leur prospérité, de leur sécurité, de leurs valeurs et de leurs intérêts. Cette conversation, organisée par les Débats internationaux de Glendon, explorera les actions concrètes qui devraient sous-tendre ces déclarations. 

Modérée par Susan Pond, directrice de l’École des affaires publiques et internationales de Glendon, cet événement hybride explorera les opportunités et les menaces possibles liées au réchauffement de la région arctique. 

Joignez-vous à nos distinguées invitées et à la conversation le 29 novembre. 

Inscrivez-vous ici : eventbrite.ca/e/arctic-security-are-we-ready-for-the-future-tickets-754666205937?aff=oddtdtcreator. 

Pour ceux qui souhaitent participer virtuellement, le débat sera également retransmis en direct. Un lien vers l’événement sera communiqué à tous les participants inscrits par courriel quelques heures avant l’événement. 

Le débat se déroulera en anglais. Nous invitons le public à poser des questions en français ou en anglais. 

Webinar explores how research can inform antimicrobial resistance policy

A man holding a pill and a glass of water

The Global Strategy Lab’s AMR Policy Accelerator at York University will host a one-hour webinar to explore global health and development challenges posed by antimicrobial resistance (AMR), and the need for collaboration between researchers and policymakers.

Bridging the AMR Research – Policy Divide will run Nov. 22 from 10 to 11 a.m. and feature a panel of experts who will delve into the challenges, and opportunities, surrounding evidence-informed AMR policymaking. The event aims to be a dynamic exchange of ideas, providing valuable insights into the complexities of AMR and the ways in which research can directly inform policy for more effective outcomes.

Millions of lives are at stake annually due to AMR, with its impact extending beyond human health to thwart progress on critical United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including Zero Hunger (SDG 2), Clean Water and Sanitation (SDG 6), and Climate Action (SDG 13).

AMR not only claims lives but also undermines efforts to achieve sustainable development, making it imperative to bridge the gap between research and policy. New data and research on AMR emerge weekly, highlighting the need to establish pathways that connect researchers with policymakers. This collaboration aims to ensure that high-quality, context-specific AMR research informs the development, updating and implementation of policies. Taking a scientific approach to enhance the effectiveness of policies makes them more likely to succeed while minimizing costs through evidence-based decision-making.

Panellists for this event are:

  • Dr. Ifedayo Adetifa of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention;
  • Professor Clare Chandler of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine;
  • Susan Rogers Van Katwyk, managing director of the AMR Policy Accelerator, research director of global antimicrobial resistance and adjunct professor at York University; and
  • Dr. Zubin Shroff of the Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research.

Moderating the event will be York University Associate Professor A. M. Viens, York Research Chair in Population Health Ethics and Law and inaugural director of York’s School of Global Health.

Register for the event here.

Researchers share how real-life situations advance understanding of brain function

Brain and AI technology

When engaged in real-world actions, the brain must process what we perceive, think and then act on the surrounding environment. In order to execute this, information is combined from our senses and our cognitive and motor signals.

Studying how all of this happens, however, can be challenging in terms of understanding the brain and in terms of gathering data in everyday situations – or uncontrolled natural environments.

In a new review paper published by the Journal of Neuroscience on Nov. 8, a team of researchers explains how real-life situations help to advance understanding of brain function, and further how deficits in brain function can affect the ability to respond to goal-directed, co-ordinated actions.

Douglas Crawford
Doug Crawford

Doug Crawford, York University professor, Distinguished Research Professor and York Research Chair, is senior author on the paper “Perceptual-Cognitive Integration for Goal-Directed Action in Naturalistic Environments,” which will be presented as a mini-symposium during the annual Society for Neuroscience Meeting on Nov. 14 in Washington, D.C.

Crawford will Chair the presentation, which features the work of six young presenters from different universities – including co-chair Jolande Fooken (Queen’s University), as well as Bianca Baltaretu (Justus Liebig University), Deborah Barany (University of Georgia), Gabriel Diaz (Rochester Institute of Technology), Jennifer Semrau (University of Delaware) and Tarkeshwar Singh (Pennsylvania State University).

Presenters will share recent advances in techniques – such as neuroimaging, virtual reality and motion tracking – that allow researchers to address these issues in naturalistic environments for both healthy participants and clinical populations.

The paper and presentation identify six areas where studying how the brain works in real-life situations has improved basic understanding of brain function. Researchers first discuss how the brain handles things like seeing objects and co-ordinating our hand movements, and then discuss applications of this knowledge to neurological deficits such as blindness, stroke and memory problems.

This translational approach, which takes what is learned in the lab and applies it to rehabilitation, helps us better understand how our brains, bodies and thoughts work together in real-life situations, and is valuable for both basic and clinical research.

Glendon School of Public and International Affairs director earns recognition from NATO

gold star award on a blue background

Glendon College’s new director of the Glendon School of Public and International Affairs (GSPIA), Susan Pond, has been recognized by the NATO Security Force Assistance Centre of Excellence (SFA COE) with the prestigious title of senior Fellow.

The award recognizes the relationship Pond developed with SFA COE in supporting its strategy and related products for the NATO Alliance and Partners.

Susan Pond accepting her award as a NATO SFA COE senior Fellow.
Susan Pond accepting her award as a NATO SFA COE senior Fellow.

Senior Fellow is an honorary title awarded to highly distinguished senior experts who have forged positive connections with the NATO SFA COE and are committed to supporting its activities and projects on a continuing basis. 

The NATO SFA COE is a multinational entity that provides expertise contributing to the development and experimentation of concepts and doctrines, and also conducts education and training activities for instructors, mentors and personnel belonging to other Nations.

The organization states its mission is “to improve effectiveness of the Alliance in promoting stability and reconstruction efforts for conflict and post-conflict scenarios through related lessons learned, education and training analysis, development of concept and doctrine activities” as well as “to provide a unique capability to Alliance, NATO Nations and NATO Partners in the field of SFA.”

The award was presented to Pond by Col. Matteo Luciani, director, and Maj. Ludovica Glorioso, legal advisor from NATO SFA, while on a visit to Glendon College, where they also met with Principal Marco Fiola and Professor Francis Garon, as well as students from Glendon’s Masters in Public and International Affairs (MAPI).  

The presence of Luciani and Glorioso at the Glendon Campus was a follow up to the signature earlier this year of a Letter of Cooperation (LOC) between NATO SFA and Glendon.

“These meetings with NATO SFA COE representatives allowed us to further discuss the role of Glendon’s School of Public and International Affairs, in support of the development of an education hub, as well as a unique summer internship opportunities for MAPI students at the SFA Centre of Excellence in Rome,” said Pond. 

Pond was recently at the offices of the Italian delegation to the United Nations on Oct. 31, where she was given the opportunity to speak about York University and Glendon College, as well as the University’s role in support of ongoing research. Previous to her role as director, Pond served Glendon as a senior Fellow where she taught graduate students and provided expertise on defence and security issues. She also served in several leadership roles at NATO for more than three decades.

The Glendon School of Public and International Affairs is preparing for an exciting year of programming, beginning with the Glendon Global Debate event “Arctic security, are we ready for the future?” on Nov. 29.

Professor to honour Canadian wartime nurses

Remembrance Day wreaths

Andrea McKenzie, associate professor and Chair of the Writing Department in the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies at York University, has been asked by the Western Front Association (WFA) to place a wreath in honour of Canadian nurses at the Cenotaph in London, England, in Nov. 11 ceremonies honouring veterans of the First World War.

Andrea McKenzie
Andrea McKenzie

The Cenotaph is a war memorial unveiled in 1920 as the United Kingdom’s national memorial to the dead of Britain and the British Empire of the First World War. In 1946 it was designated to include the fallen from the Second World War. The memorial has become a central location for the annual services organized on Remembrance Sunday – the U.K. equivalent of Canada’s Remembrance Day – where crowds gather to observe two minutes of silence, and wreaths are laid by distinguished representatives to honour the fallen.

The invitation to place a wreath honouring the role of Canadian nurses during the First World War is, in part, a recognition of McKenzie’s ongoing work and expertise around the subject. In the past, McKenzie has provided articles and presentations to the WFA – both in person and virtually – on the sometimes little known or unrecognized role Canadian nurses played in the conflict. It was a 2018 event at the National Army Museum in London that first drew WFA organizer’s attention to McKenzie’s work, and led now to the invitation to place a wreath in this year’s Remembrance Sunday’s ceremony.

Following the ceremony and the laying of her wreath, McKenzie will read a poem to dignitaries at the Guards’ Chapel in Westminster as part of a service to commemorate veterans who served during the First World War, those who were lost in the war and those who mourned them.

McKenzie’s ongoing work has also included numerous publications and lectures about Canadian nurses’ experiences during the First World War in Canada and Europe. She is also the author and editor of War-Torn Exchanges: The Lives and Letters of Nursing Sisters Laura Holland and Mildred Forbes (UBC Press, 2016), a book of letters written by Canadian nurses during the First World War.

Schulich partnership helps propel student startups in India

Businessman with white rocket launching from his hand to sky

The Schulich School of Business recently concluded its Together Mission 4.0, the fourth edition of its annual entrepreneurship bootcamp and venture competition supported by an ongoing partnership with the Government of India’s Startup India initiative.

The global online event, which bridges the innovation ecosystems of Canada and India, pairs Schulich master of business administration (MBA) students and alumni with inspired teams of student entrepreneurs hand-picked by Startup India from over 17,000 Indian colleges and 700 Indian universities. The Schulich mentors assist with pitch design, business planning and competitive analysis throughout the course of a three-week intensive mentorship program, and then each team presents their idea. After the top six teams are determined, they are invited to take part in a grand finale event, with live pitches streamed to an estimated audience of 10,000.

“The Together Mission is an incredible opportunity for our students to reach out across the globe and leverage their entrepreneurial training and mindset as a force for good and friendship,” said Chris Carder, executive director of Schulich’s Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, who created the program. “We love seeing these companies grow and thrive in India, thanks to our many students and alumni mentors, and we’re already excited for next year.”

This year’s winning team, Climec Labs, led by Indian student entrepreneurs Inderan Kannan and Atul John, received a $10,000 cash prize for their innovative idea to use microalgae to improve indoor air quality. Supporting the project were Schulich MBA students Aditya Singh, Aditya Chandel and Adhiraj Singh.

“We are deeply grateful for Schulich and York University in helping us achieve the impactful goals we set forth in our pitch,” said Kannan. “We never imagined the incredible impact these Canadian students made on our startup in only one week.”

Receiving a $5,000 cash prize as the runner-up was team InnrGize, led by Shalmali Kanu and Siddharth Warrier, with a device that uses neurostimulation to reduce stress and improve sleep.

In addition to the cash prizes, winners of the competition are rewarded with access to powerful startup tools and global networks to help them realize their dream.

Startup India is a flagship initiative of the Government of India, intended to empower startups to grow through innovation and design.

For more information about the Together Mission, visit schulich.yorku.ca/together/together-about.  

A full video of the event is available to watch on LinkedIn.

AMPD showcases facilities through new virtual tour

students on AMPD soundstage

To engage prospective students, York University’s School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design (AMPD) has launched a virtual tour resource to showcase its 300,000-square-feet worth of facilities, share student stories and highlight experiential education opportunities.

The AMPD Virtual Tour offers visitors the ability to view state-of-the-art facilities associated with different departments and programs within AMPD, including cinema and media arts, dance, design, digital media, music, theatre, visual art and art history, as well the integrative arts. A total of eight tours are available, with different “scenes” contained in each tour that students can interact with in a similar way that they would at an open house.

Each viewable location gives virtual visitors the chance to step into these dynamic spaces through 360-degree photos of AMPD facilities that include hot spots focused on noteworthy features and videos of student profiles. Furthermore, the images showcase students in action to highlight the various hands-on, industry and experiential education opportunities available. For example, a virtual tour of the Cinema & Media Arts program facilities shows AMPD students shooting large-scale scenes in a soundproof studio.

The AMPD Virtual Tour was built with Circuit Virtual Tours, a leading technology company based in Toronto that enables the creation of immersive digital experiences for higher education institutions and other physical spaces. From start to finish, the project took four months, from plotting out scenes and crafting the script to organizing photo shoots and curating media assets.

Through the virtual tour and embedded calls-to-action throughout it, AMPD aims to increase student interest in arts, culture and design programs – particularly from international students who cannot physically attend events, tours, showcases and performances. The new virtual experience puts the learning opportunities available at AMPD on stage 24-7 for students around the world.

Experience the AMPD Virtual Tour today at virtualtour.ampd.yorku.ca.