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Dale Lastman urges graduands to dream like kids, be caring

Dale Lastman

By Alexander Huls, deputy editor, YFile

Dale Lastman, a leader in corporate and securities law, was awarded an honorary degree by York University during a June 21 convocation ceremony, the last for the spring Class of 2024, for the Osgoode Hall Law School.

With a professional journey full of notable accomplishments, Lastman wasn’t lacking in ways to begin his address or wisdom to share from his experiences.

Instead, he showed a video.

In it, Lastman’s toddler grandson was on a basketball court. Despite possessing a young child’s limited height and hand-eye co-ordination skills, which make shooting a ball into a 10-foot-high net altogether challenging, Lastman’s grandson was undeterred. He played on the court as if nothing was out of reach, as if each throw was as close to making it in as if an NBA player had handled it.

Most would probably see in that video simply a boy clowning around to little result, Lastman said. He, instead, finds inspiration. “I see the kind of person I aspire to be – someone who doesn’t think his dream is impossible; someone with no filters, no self-imposed limitations and no fear of what people might think,” Lastman said. “I see someone smarter than just about anyone I know, because he still dares to dream.”

Lastman mourned how the ability to dream so purely is something few are able to hold onto past their fifth birthday, as growing into the logistical realities of life makes dreams seem unreachable. But Lastman urged graduands to consider how many great ideas in this world likely never materialized because someone thought them impossible. In their journeys ahead, Lastman asked the Class of 2024 to reclaim the inner child in themselves that – like his grandson – is unwilling to believe things are out of reach and unconcerned with what could happen if they try and fail.

Chancellor Kathleen Taylor, Dale Lastman, President and Vice-Chancellor Rhonda Lenton
Pictured, from left to right: Chancellor Kathleen Taylor, Dale Lastman, President and Vice-Chancellor Rhonda Lenton.

The honorary degree recipient also cautioned that what can limit an ability to dream is adopting, without question, labels – like student, professor, lawyer, doctor, engineer – in ways that can restrictively define who someone is and what they should want or do. “The moment we give ourselves these labels is the moment we start to filter our feelings and our thoughts not by what we think we can do, but by what we think we should do,” Lastman said. “Don’t let a label limit you.”

He urged, too, a broadening of personal and professional possibilities through the value of allowing a diverse range of perspectives, opinions, knowledge and information into one’s life. Notably, he asked graduands to cherish those they’ve met along the way in their academic ventures who can offer that. “The only thing more valuable than what you walk off stage with today is who you walk on stage with,” Lastman said.

The interpersonal, he said, will be critical for those graduands who want to differentiate themselves as they continue their lives and careers. He offered another personal story to illustrate.

Lastman recounted how every day he likes to go to the same Tim Hortons at 5 a.m. to get a cup of coffee. One day, he ran into a friend who saw how Lastman was drinking it and asked why he took his coffee black. Lastman replied that he usually doesn’t; he prefers it with skim milk, but Tim Hortons only carries two per cent milk.

The next morning when he returned for his daily coffee, a server let him know that an employee had overheard Lastman speaking to his friend, and brought skim milk in for his coffee. “I’ve been served thousands of cups of coffee over my life. Nothing ever made it any different or any better,” Lastman said, “except for this one woman who overheard me … and who cared enough to take it upon herself – without any incentive – to do something special. I don’t know who she is, but I will remember her for the rest of my life.”  

In that employee – much like his grandson – Lastman wanted to illustrate a way forward for graduands to succeed. “Don’t expect to differentiate yourself by being smart,” he said.  “A person’s opportunity to show their smart happens once in a blue moon. A person’s opportunity to show how much they care happens 20 times a day. That is the true measure of differentiation. It is how we can become our best selves.”

For those who do become their best selves, and achieve success similar to Lastman’s, he also had some parting advice: surround yourself with those who can keep you grounded. He recounted how, just that morning as he was getting ready to head to York University, he had fished for compliments from his wife when he asked her, “Can you believe, in your wildest dreams, that I would be getting a honorary doctor of laws degree?”

She replied, “Dale, I don’t know how to break this to you, but you’re not even in my wildest dreams.”

In that, Lastman’s wife and grandson, as well as the Tim Hortons employee, all demonstrated the nuggets of wisdom he hoped to leave the graduating class with. “Don’t just do what’s expected. Don’t be the person your label says you’re supposed to be. Don’t limit yourself. Don’t be like everyone else,” Lastman said.

Carol Hansell encourages graduands to lean into their passions

Carol Hansell

By Lindsay MacAdam, communications officer, YFile

Carol Hansell, an internationally recognized expert in corporate governance who has been a key influencer on the development of public policy for more than three decades, was awarded an honorary degree from York University during a June 21 convocation ceremony for the Schulich School of Business. A graduate of both Schulich and Osgoode Hall Law School, she is no stranger to York U.

Hansell began by telling graduands how she became a leader in her field. After deciding against a career in academia, she began working as a deal lawyer, helping clients with mergers, acquisitions, financing, buyouts and more. What helped her excel in this role, she believed, was her passion for research, writing and teaching – skills she honed through her education – and she was intentional about pursuing projects within the legal world that played to those academic strengths.

Pictured, from left to right: Provost and Vice-President Academic Lisa Philipps, Carol Hansell, Chancellor Kathleen Taylor.

Early in her career, she said, a publisher saw something she had written about corporate governance – which had not yet become its own field – and approached her about turning it into a book. It took her six years and a lot of research, but it resulted in her gaining expertise in what soon became a topic of global interest, and enabling her to contribute to public policy and start her own firm.

“My point for you is I didn’t follow my passion,” Hansell said. “If I had done that, I would have become a history professor. Instead, I became a corporate lawyer – it was interesting and, frankly, the compensation was better. I leaned into my passions and was able to build a career that was satisfying for me at every level.”

Hansell highlighted a tendency among some professionals to develop strong attachments to the organizations they work for. She encouraged graduands to maintain a balanced perspective and not take business decisions personally. Instead, they should pay attention to the character of decision makers and seek out organizations with values that align with their own. “Like any other relationship you have in life,” she said, “you will be most satisfied by interacting with organizations whose values you share.”

It wouldn’t have been a business school convocation without some lessons in finance. First, Hansell reminded graduands that money is not the only important factor when settling on a career path. “Money undoubtedly unlocks a lot of possibilities in life,” she said, “but having pride and purpose in what you are doing seems to me to be a minimum requirement.”

Another consideration, she said, should be ethics. “Don’t let yourself get swept up into a logic or pattern of conduct that justifies something you know isn’t right. It sticks with you. You can’t wash it off,” she warned. “And the money won’t save you when your reputation is tainted.”

With an anecdote from her own life about her husband leaving his financially lucrative career to take a short-term dream job in politics, she suggested graduands avoid taking on more debt than they need to. Having personal finances in order and living within one’s means, she explained, can provide the freedom to pursue meaningful life experiences that might not otherwise be possible.

Hansell closed her speech by telling the future business leaders how excited she was for them and all that lies ahead in their lives. “You are going to experience change, progress and developments that we can’t even begin to imagine at this moment,” she said.

Jason Harrow inspires graduands to embrace their creativity

Jason Harrow hon doc speech

By Lindsay MacAdam, communications officer, YFile

Canadian music industry icon Jason “Kardinal Offishall” Harrow accepted his honorary degree from York University at the June 20 convocation ceremony by reciting spoken word poetry – infused with his signature hip-hop lyricism – to graduands of the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies and the School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design.

The former York University student, born to Jamaican immigrant parents and hailing from Scarborough, Ont., spoke of his decision to hit pause on his post-secondary studies to follow his creative passion. “I left the halls of this institution in pursuit of my dreams and never thought that I would be welcomed back in this manner,” he said of the full-circle moment.

Pictured, from left to right: Chancellor Kathleen Taylor, Jason Harrow, President and Vice-Chancellor Rhonda Lenton.

Harrow repeatedly touched on the difficulties of being an artist in a world built around money, where professional success is often defined by one’s financial worth. “They say art is when you listen to the universe and magic is when the universe listens to you,” he said. “Either way, being a successful magician is not based on how much money you can accrue.”

Through a series of artful rhymes, Harrow urged graduands to shift their mindset around education, career and finances – to avoid looking at their university degree as a means to get rich; to avoid choosing their career path based on what will pay them back the fastest; and to think about the difference between making an impact and making money. “You didn’t spend all this time here at this beautiful institution,” Harrow said, “to enter into the workforce looking for restitution.”

Indeed, it wasn’t financial gain Harrow was after when he decided to risk it all to chase his creative calling. It was the prospect of living his truth, and it led him to the fulfilling career he has today, working in artist development and creative direction at record labels and continuing to make music and collaborate with other artists, some of whom he namechecked during his moment at the mic – Busta Rhymes, Jay-Z, Run-DMC, Rihanna, LL Cool J, Lil Wayne, Kanye West and Will Smith, among others.

Harrow then asked rhetorically, “Which one do you want – passion or purpose, freedom or finance?” before sharing one lesson his professional journey has taught him. “When you move with passion and living your purpose,” he said, “you will achieve a sense of freedom and it won’t be by chance.”

The honorary degree recipient ended his speech by emphasizing to graduands the critical importance of remembering their purpose and holding onto their creative spirit as they embark on their careers, despite the inevitable pressures to do otherwise.

“Be proud of your degrees and all the hard work that it took to get here. These words are just a starter pistol – the beginning of a race to get clear,” Harrow said. “Once your spirit gains clarity, you will know you have arrived. It has been said that a creative adult is the child who survived.”

In pictures: Spring Convocation celebrates Class of 2024

convocation

Spring Convocation for York University’s Class of 2024 ran from June 7 to 21, and featured ceremonies at both the Keele and Glendon campuses.

This year’s Spring Convocation began on June 7 with a ceremony at York University’s Glendon Campus, and continued with a dozen more in the following weeks at the Keele Campus. More than 7,000 graduands received their degrees during ceremonies overseen by the 14th chancellor of York University, Kathleen Taylor.

View photos from the Class of 2024 ceremonies below:

York Spring Convocation Class of 2024

John Ralston Saul urges graduands to be engaged citizens

John Ralston Saul

John Ralston Saul, an award-winning essayist and novelist who is often referred to as one of Canada’s leading thinkers, received an honorary degree from York University during a June 19 convocation ceremony for the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies.

“It’s amazing looking around at all the faces and thinking about the future,” Saul said after approaching the podium and taking a moment to acknowledge the number of graduands around him. Then, he explained how this large convocation ceremony is representative of a major shift in Canadian society that he believes requires addressing.

“We are the best educated society in the history of the world – Canada, in particular,” he explained. “And we’ve gradually evolved over 100 or so years … from a small, educated elite to the conviction that everyone has to have a serious education.”

To loud cheers from the crowd, he argued that undergraduate education should be well-enough funded to eliminate the need for student loans, debts and hardship.

Pictured, from left to right: Chancellor Kathleen Taylor, John Ralston Saul, President and Vice-Chancellor Rhonda Lenton.
Pictured, from left to right: Chancellor Kathleen Taylor, John Ralston Saul, President and Vice-Chancellor Rhonda Lenton.

Saul then commended the graduands for the years of hard work that led them to this particular moment, but he cautioned that hard work of a different kind now awaited them.

“You, for better or worse, are graduating into tough times. There’s no point in pretending that isn’t the case,” Saul said. “We live in an era of uncertainty where democracy is being threatened, authoritarianism is on the rise, access to education needs to be improved and engaged citizenship is lacking.”

Facing the current and coming challenges, Saul stressed, will require more active participation – in society, in government, in debate – even if it might feel risky. “The problem today is that there’s an atmosphere out there, including in universities, that if we’re serious then we should all keep our heads down. We should be careful. We should be intellectually polite,” he said. “We don’t go anywhere if we’re intellectually polite all the time. That’s not the nature of debate.”

To challenge, change and course-correct society, he said, requires a thick skin. “You have to go out there and be ready to knock things down and therefore be knocked back,” he urged.

Saul warned about those – especially in politics – who urge efficiency and speed. Democracy should not be fast, he said, because that speed excludes key components of the democratic process.

“What could be slower than a society which takes the time to have citizens involved in the process? A society, at its best, listens and acts on the opinions of non-experts,” he said. “I would say we need to go even slower. We need more participation, more listening, much more participation, much more speaking up.”

He noted, too, that while over the past decades there have been world-changing advancements of knowledge that have led to a rise of expertise and efficiency, that should not shape our society. “The citizenry – all of us, through our democracy – we have to do the shaping.”

Saul acknowledged that wouldn’t necessarily be easy. “It’s going to be hard work … to rebuild the reality of the engaged citizen who believes in the shared public good, and hard work to build new coalitions of engaged citizens,” he said. “In other words, exciting times, demanding lives, high risk. All of that to say, I envy you.”

Arnold Auguste reflects on career spent sharing marginalized voices

Arnold Auguste

By Lindsay MacAdam, communications officer, YFile

At York University’s Spring Convocation ceremony on the morning of June 20, an honorary degree was presented to Arnold Auguste, president and publisher of the newspaper Share, which has been serving the Greater Toronto Area’s Black and Caribbean communities since 1978.

Born and raised in Trinidad, Auguste always had a fondness for Canada, so when he had the opportunity to move to Toronto in 1970, he didn’t hesitate. Two years later, a friend asked him if he would be interested in writing a column for community newspaper called Contrast, which covered issues affecting the Black community. And although writing was not something he had ever contemplated or felt capable of doing, he agreed. That was 52 years ago.

Pictured, from left to right: Chancellor Kathleen Taylor, Arnold Auguste, President and Vice-Chancellor Rhonda Lenton.
Pictured, from left to right: Chancellor Kathleen Taylor, Arnold Auguste, President and Vice-Chancellor Rhonda Lenton.

“Today, I am proud to say that I’m a journalist,” said Auguste. “But this profession found me; I didn’t go looking for it.”

Growing up in Trinidad, Auguste naturally gravitated towards news media. He had access to three daily newspapers and three weekend tabloids, and he read every one. “I never, in my wildest dreams, thought I would ever write for one – let alone own one,” he admitted.

As Auguste became more involved with Toronto’s Black community, he learned that people were raising funds to provide university scholarships for ambitious youth. He felt a pull to pursue that path, to gain the skills necessary to help him tell the stories of his community in the most compelling way possible. “I felt that if stories needed to be told, they needed to be told well,” he said. “So I entered university to study journalism, where I had the privilege of learning from some of the best people in the business.”

After completing his studies, Auguste worked briefly as an editor at two Black community newspapers, before differences of opinion led to a parting of ways and to Auguste’s eventual decision to start his own publication. Looking to provide a forum where important issues affecting his community could be discussed and debated, he launched Share.

“I never wanted to own a newspaper,” he said, “but if I was to continue working in the Black community, I didn’t see another option.”

Before long, Share took over the market, and the other two publications went out of business.

Auguste was adamant that his newspaper would be free; that it would only publish positive news; that it would not accept any advertising that wasn’t in the best interests of its readers; and that it would not accept government funding. “If the paper was to be successful, it should be supported by the readers,” he believed. And supported it was.

Over the years, Auguste has considered closing his paper several times, but each time that decision has been met with resistance from its steadfast supporters. Last year, he decided again that, after 45 years, it was time to cease publication. This time, he didn’t tell anyone – “I thought I would just sneak out the back door and nobody would notice,” he said.

After the first few weeks, people started calling to find out why they couldn’t find the paper anywhere. Then, the number of calls increased. Eventually, people began offering financial support, thinking that was the reason for the shutdown. Others said they were willing to start paying for the paper that had been free for 45 years. The community had spoken: Share wasn’t going anywhere.

“This experience has instilled in us a renewed sense of Share‘s relevance,” said Auguste, finally realizing how critical his publication is to his community.

With people of colour now working in important positions in Canadian media, academia, the labour movement, police services, the medical profession, as lawyers and judges, at every level of government and in just about every walk of life, Share‘s role, Auguste explained, is to honour those who sacrificed to make that happen.

“As a dear friend reminded me,” said Auguste, “if our history is not written, it is as though we did not exist. Share proves that we existed.”

To conclude his speech, Auguste left graduands with some sage words of advice.

“You have been educated by one of the top universities in the world,” he said. “You are ready to take your place among the movers and shakers. Accept the challenge. Go forward with confidence in yourself and in your training. Be good people. Be honest people. Be kind. Be generous of spirit. Live a life of purpose and help make this world a better place.”

Undergraduate students receive Governor General’s Silver Medals

Governor General Silver Winners BANNER

Three undergraduate students at York University have been awarded the Governor General’s Silver Medal, which recognizes the outstanding scholastic achievements of undergraduate students in Canada.

The Governor General’s Academic Medals are considered the highest honour that can be earned by exemplary Canadian scholars throughout every level of academia. This year’s recipients are:

Vo Dinh Huy Nguyen

Vo Dinh Huy Nguyen

Nguyen is graduating from the Bachelor of Business Administration program at York University’s Schulich School of Business, specializing in accounting, with the highest grade point average among his cohort.

His time at the University has been distinguished by winning several University and national business competitions and being actively involved within the Schulich community. He served as executive for a wide range of clubs – notably as president of the Schulich Accounting Society – and as a mentor for hundreds of lower-year students.

He credits his academic success and the Governor General’s Silver Medal, in part, to his Vietnamese parents for their support across a notable geographical distance. He also welcomes the award as a testament to the sometimes challenging journey of an international student living alone in Canada.

“Balancing school, work, and extracurricular activities while navigating life independently has often been overwhelming and, at times, daunting. However, this award validates that every effort and sacrifice has been worth it. It serves as a powerful reminder that, together with the right mindset, perseverance, commitment and gratitude can lead to remarkable achievements,” Nguyen says. “It is my immense honour to be recognized as part of the legacy of excellence by the governor general of Canada.”

Nguyen is currently enrolled in the Master of Accounting program at Schulich, with the goal of obtaining his chartered professional accountant designation, and is starting a full-time job at Deloitte Toronto in September.  

Parker Grant

Parker Grant
Parker Grant

Grant is graduating from the Faculty of Health with a bachelor of science (specialized honours) in psychology.

During her time at York U, she says she fell in love with conducting research – notably, examining inequities in health and well-being, with a particular focus on substance misuse. She credits professors Kerry Kawakami, Heather Prime and Jeffrey Wardell for the mentorship that helped kindle that passion.

“I’m incredibly proud to be receiving the Governor General’s Silver Medal,” she says. “This award represents all of the hard work and late nights I’ve dedicated to my degree and serves as an inspiration to continue pursuing my studies.”

Grant will next pursue her research interests at the Institute of Medical Science at the University of Toronto, where her master’s thesis will examine sex and gender differences in response to an extended period of cannabis abstinence in individuals with major depressive disorder and cannabis use disorder. She will also continue research and advocacy work with the Queer & Trans Health Collective as a research assistant for the National 2S/LGBTQIA+ Substance Use Study.

Michele Bars

Michele Bars
Michele Bars

Bars is graduating from Glendon College with a specialized bachelor’s degree in French Studies, which allowed her to pursue an interest in a wide range of topics relating to French literature, language and linguistics, as well as culture and history in French-speaking countries.

“Receiving the Governor General’s Silver Medal is an honour and is very special to me,” she says. “It not only reflects my hard work and progress in my chosen field of study but also represents my overall student experience at Glendon and the wonderful professors from whom I learned so much over the years.”

Reeta Roy urges Faculty of Education graduands to ‘make a difference in the lives of learners’

Reeta Roy

Reeta Roy, president and CEO of the Mastercard Foundation – an international non-governmental organization focused on empowering young Africans with education – offered several calls-to-action to Faculty of Education graduands to help shape the future of education.

“You have an entire lifetime of impact ahead of you,” Roy promised graduands during their June 17 convocation, as she began her address to them. “Whether you stand in front of the classroom or you get to decide what is taught in the classroom, whether you focus on expanding access to education or you set standards of education, you will make a difference in the lives of learners.”

An advocate for the transformational power of education through her work at the Mastercard Foundation, Roy made several requests of graduands as they move ahead in their careers.

She urged them to lean into one of the most important qualities teachers can possess. “As educators, one of the most important things you do – and you will do – is to recognize promise and talent in others, even before they may perceive it in themselves,” she said. “You have the opportunity to truly see the whole person – not the boundaries and not the limitations around them.”

That, she explained, can lead to something educators are uniquely positioned to do. “More than just see them, you will enable their passions, develop their confidence and help them believe in themselves so they can walk their own journeys and create their own opportunities,” said Roy.

Kathleen Taylor, Reeta Roy, Rhonda Lenton copy
Pictured, from left to right: Chancellor Kathleen Taylor, Reeta Roy, President and Vice-Chancellor Rhonda Lenton.

She also called upon graduands to transform the reality of who deserves an education, as she noted there are many who struggle to access learning due to poverty, conflict, distance, disability, lack of teachers, gender and more.

Roy noted she has seen – and worked to change – this directly, through her work with the Mastercard Foundation, which advances the development of educational opportunities for African youth and their families, and looks to empower 30 million young Africans by 2030 with the creation of educational and economic opportunities.

Roy delivered her final call to action in the form of an anecdote. She recounted a trip to Moosonee, a small town in northern Ontario sometimes referred to as “the gateway to the Arctic.” She was doing work there with the Weeneebayko Area Health Authority, training Indigenous young people to become health professionals who would help the larger medical system embody Indigenous knowledge and world views about what is healthy and what is wellness.

During her visit, she encountered – in person, for the first time – an ice road.

She learned that during winters, communities transform rivers, lakes and other bodies of water into ice that’s strong enough to sustain trucks and cars transporting food, fuel and necessities to otherwise isolated communities. “I was just stunned by the sophistication and the technical know-how to create these roads,” Roy said. “The ice road reflected Indigenous technology based on traditional knowledge of living with the natural environment.”

At the same time, she marvelled at the cutting-edge knowledge being integrated into the unique type of infrastructure. As climate change threatens those ice roads, making it hard to predict where dangerous cracks might form, she learned that university researchers are applying emerging technologies – like sensors and artificial intelligence – to create better predictive models that can identity where cracks and ridges may form.

The ice road – its past, present and future – reminded Roy of education. “The ice road isn’t just a bridge across waters,” she said. “It’s a bridge connecting communities and cultures. It’s a bridge connecting traditional knowledge with new forms of knowledge, connecting the past and the present.”

In that realization, she found the lesson she wanted to impart on the Faculty of Education graduands she was addressing. “You can be that bridge,” she urged. “Be that bridge.”

President congratulates Spring Convocation’s Class of 2024

convocation

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The following is a message from York University President and Vice-Chancellor Rhonda Lenton to the Class of 2024:

To the exceptional Class of 2024, my warmest congratulations! It is a privilege and a pleasure to join you in commemorating this major milestone in your life.

With all that is going on in the world, this group of graduating students has demonstrated not only perseverance but resilience.

We are living at a time of great change and transformation – brought on by a convergence of factors which include the pandemic, the rise of artificial intelligence and automation, the organization of work, the labour market and sociodemographic changes.

All of these forces are working together, contributing in some cases to geopolitical conflicts and war, raising important ethical questions in society and a whole host of other wicked problems such as the sustainability of the planet we call home.

Higher education, as a result, is being profoundly impacted by the urgent need for talent, research and innovation, collaboration and co-operation.

The knowledge and skills you have acquired are just the beginning. The true measure of your education will be evident in how you use it to bridge divides, cultivate empathy and understanding, and contribute to a better world.

Now, more than ever, we need changemakers who recognize the humanity in others, skilled at finding creative compromises and deeply committed to the well-being of all people and the planet.

Changemakers are all around us – for example, in the honorary degree recipients and the award winners we were pleased to recognize.

Each of our Faculties are also exemplary models. For example, in the Faculty of Science, Professor Sapna Sharma, who is celebrated as one of Canada’s top 10 water scientists, is leading the UNITAR Global Water Academy. The aim of the academy is to tackle global water sustainability – a pressing issue that affects the population worldwide.

In the Faculty of Education, the Jean Augustine Chair held by Carl James continues to attract donations, due in no small part to individuals like doctors Augustine and James, who have dedicated their lives to access, equity, and inclusivity through community engagement and collaborative action, supporting initiatives that ensure the success of current and future Black scholars and students.

With interdisciplinary collaboration as our forte, many of our Faculties are also contributing to the $318-million Connected Minds research initiative, the largest York-led research project. Connected Minds: Neural and Machine Systems for a Healthy, Just Society, in partnership with Queen’s University and others, aims to understand and mitigate the risks of emerging technologies, particularly for vulnerable populations.

And earlier this month, York was named in the world’s top 35 among 2,000+ participating universities for its impact on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals by the prestigious Times Higher Education Impact Rankings. These examples are powerful reminders of the impact that we can make as individuals as well as collectively.

You join a network of more than 375,000 York alumni, making a meaningful difference across diverse spheres of life. I know that some of you are continuing on at York in graduate programs, but whatever your future plans, I hope you stay in touch with us, and with the friends and acquaintances you have made along the way.

Let us take a moment to acknowledge the many individuals who have supported you throughout your higher education journey. This includes your professors, teaching assistants, administrative staff, classmates, family, partners, and friends who have encouraged and assisted you in reaching this significant milestone.

Thank you for choosing York. Congratulations! We look forward to seeing what you will do next!

Bonne chance! Miigwetch!

Le président félicite la promotion de la collation des grades du printemps 2024

convocation

J’adresse mes plus vives félicitations à l’exceptionnelle promotion de 2024! C’est un grand privilège pour moi de célébrer avec vous cette étape importante de votre vie.

Étant donné la situation mondiale actuelle, ce groupe de diplômés a fait preuve non seulement de persévérance, mais aussi de résilience.

Nous vivons une époque de transformations et de grands changements déclenchés par une combinaison de facteurs comme la pandémie, l’essor de l’IA et de l’automatisation, l’organisation du travail, le marché de l’emploi et les tendances sociodémographiques.

Toutes ces forces conjuguées entraînent dans certains cas des conflits géopolitiques et des guerres et soulèvent d’importantes questions éthiques dans la société ainsi que de nombreux autres problèmes épineux, dont la durabilité de la planète Terre.

L’enseignement supérieur est donc profondément marqué par le besoin pressant de talents, de recherche et d’innovation, de collaboration et de coopération.

Les connaissances et les compétences que vous avez acquises ne sont qu’un début. La vraie portée de votre éducation sera évidente dans l’usage que vous en ferez pour combler les fossés, cultiver l’empathie et la compréhension et contribuer ainsi à un monde meilleur.

Aujourd’hui plus que jamais, nous avons besoin d’artisans et artisanes du changement qui reconnaissent l’humanité des autres, habiles à trouver des compromis créatifs et qui se mobilisent en vue du bien-être de tous les peuples et de la planète.

On retrouve de telles personnes un peu partout dans notre entourage, surtout parmi les récipiendaires de diplômes honorifiques et les lauréats des prix que nous avons le plaisir de décerner.

Chacune de nos facultés constitue aussi un modèle à suivre. Prenons l’exemple de la Faculté des sciences : la professeure Sapna Sharma a été reconnue comme l’une des dix meilleures scientifiques canadiennes dans le domaine de l’eau. Elle dirige aujourd’hui l’Académie mondiale de l’eau de l’UNITAR, dont l’objectif est de s’attaquer au problème de la durabilité de l’eau, un enjeu qui touche les populations du monde entier.

À la Faculté des sciences de l’éducation, la Chaire Jean Augustine, dont Carl James est actuellement titulaire, continue d’attirer des dons grâce à Mme Augustine et M. James qui ont consacré leur vie à l’accès, à l’équité et à l’inclusion au moyen de l’engagement communautaire et de l’action collaborative ainsi que d’initiatives assurant la réussite des universitaires et étudiant·e·s noir·e·s actuel·le·s et futur·e·s.

La collaboration interdisciplinaire étant notre point fort, plusieurs facultés contribuent également à l’initiative de recherche Connected Minds/Esprits branchés dont la valeur s’élève à 318 M$ et qui est le plus grand projet de recherche dirigé par York. Connected Minds: Neural and Machine Systems for a Healthy, Just Society, de concert avec l’Université Queen’s et d’autres partenaires, a pour mandat de comprendre et d’atténuer les risques des technologies émergentes, notamment pour les populations vulnérables.

Au début du mois, le prestigieux palmarès Impact de Times Higher Education a classé York parmi les 35 meilleures universités au monde — sur plus de 2 000 — pour son impact sur les ODD. Ces exemples illustrent bien l’incidence que nous pouvons avoir individuellement et collectivement.

Vous rejoignez un réseau de plus de 375 000 diplômé·e·s de York qui suscitent le changement dans divers domaines. Je sais que certains et certaines d’entre vous poursuivrez vos études à York. Quels que soient vos projets d’avenir, j’espère que vous resterez en contact avec nous ainsi qu’avec les amis et les connaissances que vous vous êtes faits en cours de route.

Prenons un moment pour remercier les nombreuses personnes qui vous ont appuyés tout au long de votre parcours dans l’enseignement supérieur. C’est grâce aux encouragements de vos professeur·e·s, chargé·e·s de cours, membres du personnel administratif, camarades de classe, familles, partenaires et amis que vous avez pu atteindre ce cap important.

Merci d’avoir choisi York. Félicitations! Nous avons hâte de voir ce que l’avenir vous réserve!

Bonne chance! Miigwetch!