Tag: International

Approved tag

Ontario’s lieutenant governor to moderate discussion on democracy

Microphone

La version française suit la version anglaise.

Lieutenant Governor of Ontario Elizabeth Dowdeswell will moderate a discussion titled “Is democracy broken?” as part of The Glendon Global Debates series, April 4 from 7 to 9 p.m. at York’s Glendon Campus.

Lieutenant Governor of Ontario Elizabeth Dowd
Lieutenant Governor of Ontario Elizabeth Dowdeswell

Dowdeswell will be joined by a panel of expert speakers, including: Clare Hutchinson, a Fellow at Glendon, and a former senior gender advisor with the United Nations Department of Peacekeeping & Power Corp Fellow; Susan Pond, a BMO senior Fellow at Glendon, and former NATO executive; and, Emily Laxer, associate professor of sociology and Research Chair in Populism, Rights and Legality at York.

The discussion will consider how different phenomena are currently affecting faith in the functioning of democracies. What role do growing inequalities (and the failure of reforms to address them), the rise of social media and their detrimental effects on public discourse, and the growing tendency of political parties across the spectrum to exploit divisions, play in shifting the stability of democracy? Do these contemporary shifts in political activity and discourse suggest that democracy is truly broken or just frayed? What can be done to restore widespread faith in democracy?

The upcoming panel is the latest entry in The Glendon Global Debates series which began in 2016 with the mission of promoting dialogue between experts from all sectors – government, academics, media, private and more – to identify critical national and foreign policy issues relevant to Canada’s future. Previous topics discussed have included Brexit, smart cities, fake news, housing affordability and women in leadership.

More information about this bilingual and hybrid event, and registration can be found here.

La lieutenante-gouverneure de l’Ontario animera un débat sur la démocratie

La lieutenante-gouverneure de l’Ontario, Elizabeth Dowdeswell, animera un débat intitulé « La démocratie est-elle brisée? » dans le cadre de la série des Débats internationaux de Glendon, le 4 avril de 19 h à 21 h au campus Glendon de l’Université York.

Lieutenant Governor of Ontario Elizabeth Dowd
Lieutenant Governor of Ontario Elizabeth Dowd

Mme Dowdeswell sera rejointe par un groupe d’intervenants experts, parmi lesquels : Clare Hutchinson, membre de Glendon et ancienne conseillère principale en matière d’égalité des genres au Département de maintien de la paix des Nations Unies et titulaire de la bourse de recherche Power Corp ; Susan Pond, professionnelle en résidence BMO à Glendon et ancienne cadre de l’OTAN; et Emily Laxer, professeure agrégée de sociologie et titulaire de la Chaire de recherche de York sur le populisme, les droits et la légalité.

La discussion portera sur la manière dont différents phénomènes affectent actuellement la foi dans le fonctionnement des démocraties. Quel rôle les inégalités croissantes (et l’échec des réformes pour y remédier), l’essor des médias sociaux et leurs effets néfastes sur le discours public, ainsi que la tendance croissante des partis politiques à exploiter les divisions, jouent-ils dans la remise en cause de la stabilité de la démocratie? Ces changements contemporains dans les activités et les discours politiques suggèrent-ils que la démocratie est réellement brisée ou simplement abîmée? Que peut-on faire pour restaurer la confiance du plus grand nombre dans la démocratie?

Ce panel est le plus récent événement des Débats internationaux de Glendon qui ont commencé en 2016 en se donnant la mission de promouvoir le dialogue entre les experts de tous les secteurs – gouvernement, universitaires, médias, privé et plus encore – pour identifier les questions critiques de politique nationale et internationale pertinentes pour l’avenir du Canada. Les thèmes déjà abordés ont été le Brexit, les villes intelligentes, les fausses nouvelles, l’accessibilité au logement et les femmes et le leadership.

Cliquez ici pour obtenir plus d’informations sur cet événement bilingue et hybride, ainsi que pour vous inscrire.

York named academic lead in UN’s new global Water Academy, a first of its kind

water droplets

York University’s growing area of strength in water research, strong local and global relationships, and commitment to positive change has resulted in the University being named academic lead in the United Nation’s (UN) new Water Academy.

The first-of-its-kind Water Academy brings together public and private sector partners from around the world to establish an innovative water training and education resource. Announced by the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) at the UN 2023 Water Conference, held in New York City between March 22 and 24, the Water Academy is a global multi-sector collaboration. 

“By working together with UNITAR, York University demonstrates the important role of higher education in addressing societal issues and advancing the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through scholarship and activism,” said Rhonda Lenton, York’s president and vice-chancellor. “The University’s strengths in interdisciplinary research in water sustainability make York well-equipped to lead the Water Academy with our academic and industry partners as we work to build capacity and provide global access to sustainable water management education.”

York has demonstrated growing strengths across a wide variety of water research. To support this priority, the University launched One Water, a new research centre that enhances capacity to address the diverse aspects of ongoing water sustainability challenges, attract and train future leaders, and find innovative solutions with industrial partners and communities alike. 

“The collaboration with York University to create the Water Academy recognizes its vision and leadership to become Canada’s leader in research into water technologies spanning different sub disciplines including wastewater, drinking water, groundwater and surface water research,” said Nikhil Seth, UN assistant secretary general and executive director of UNITAR. 

The Water Academy is focused on delivering innovative training and building human capacities on pressing water related issues at a large scale. As an education platform for online, offline and immersive learning it has two key objectives: 

  1. To forge skills and knowledge such that water management practices can be replicated and scalable.
  2. To forge awareness and a water culture based on ethics and responsibility that come from a different attitude to how water is perceived and used. 

The Water Conference created an opportunity for Member States, UN entities and stakeholders to share commitments that aim to contribute to the implementation of water-related SDGs and associated targets. These voluntary commitments will be collected in the Water Action Agenda to accelerate progress in the second half of the Water Action Decade 2018-2028 and the second half of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. 

Focused squarely on delivering York’s ambitious academic plan, the University has been bolstering its position as a leader in creating a more sustainable and inclusive world through innovative academic programs, interdisciplinary research and a comprehensive suite of sustainability focused actions that advance social, economic and environmental priorities. The University ranks 33rd in the world on the most recent Times Higher Education Impact Rankings for contributions towards the UN SDGs, including ranking 51st out of more than 1,400 universities in UN SDG 6, which focuses on clean water. Progress was recently highlighted with the University’s launch of the Microlecture Series in Sustainable Living, a free, open-access resource that features six of York’s world-renowned academics.

Learn more at News @ York.

Lassonde partnerships spell success 

handshake

By Elaine Smith 

York University’s academic plan calls “Working in Partnership” one of the University’s six priorities and the Lassonde School of Engineering has been listening closely and taking action.

Partnerships with Scotiabank and with other universities across Canada are both bearing fruit: one in combatting financial crimes and the other by assisting researchers who wish to commercialize their research. 

Partnering with business 

Uyen Trang Nguyen
Uyen Trang Nguyen

Since the Scotiabank Lassonde Financial Crimes Research Initiative was announced in September 2021, Uyen Trang Nguyen, an associate professor of electrical engineering and computer science, and her research team have been hard at work creating solutions and countermeasures to combat financial crimes using a combination of artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, big data, social media, cybersecurity and cloud computing. 

“Financial markets and products are growing more and more complex, aided by digital transformation,” Nguyen said. “It’s a double-edged sword, because there has also been growth in the complexity of financial crimes, such as sophisticated money laundering schemes and frauds. 

“Proceeds from financial crimes are used to support and facilitate various environmental and social crimes, including drug and human trafficking, wildlife poaching and child sexual exploitation.” 

She is training her students for jobs in financial crime analysis and risk management so they’re ready to face and tackle financial crimes. 

Nguyen’s own research focuses on cybersecurity, protecting consumers against fraud and creating tools to assist financial institutions and law enforcement agencies in fighting social and environmental crimes. In partnership with Scotiabank, she and her team are developing a software tool to detect patterns that indicate the presence of potential non-compliant or criminal activities. Thanks to AI and machine learning, huge volumes of data can be reviewed quickly. 

The team is also developing more efficient tools for searching the dark web, that portion of the internet that isn’t indexed by Google or other search engines. There is a lot of sensitive information from hacked databases that finds its way there for sale or sharing, such as credit and debit card information, personally identifiable information and passwords. 

“I imagine the dark web is like the very early days of the internet with no search engines or indexing, but it’s a place where criminals hide information,” Nguyen said. “It means going through hundreds and hundreds of pages; it’s like looking for a needle in a haystack and requires patience and smarter tools.

“We’re looking for financial and credential data breaches, and cyber threats such as malware and ransomware to assist consumers, businesses and law enforcement.” 

In a related project, Nguyen and her team are creating a tool using machine learning and natural language processing to translate text containing slang and dark web terminology into everyday English to assist financial institutions and law enforcement in investigations of relevant unseemly activity. 

Creating a global classroom

Andrew Maxwell
Andrew Maxwell

Andrew Maxwell, York’s Bergeron Chair in Technology Entrepreneurship, is involved in a partnership of a different kind. This term, he is teaching a graduate course in research commercialization to graduate students from York, as well as virtually to graduate students in seven other universities across Canada. 

The curriculum is drawn from Maxwell’s 20 years of experience in technology transfer and entrepreneurship, his PhD and his experience in offering research commercialization workshops to researchers and entrepreneurs in universities and industries across Canada and the United States. 

“When I came to York in 2014, I ran this as a graduate course, but people from other institutions in the U.S. wanted to have me continue my in-person workshops,” Maxwell said. “Given my other university commitments, I suggested doing these workshops with partners virtually, but people weren’t interested. Then came the pandemic. I invited students and faculty from other universities to join my class virtually and they realized that it could work, bringing diverse perspectives and experiences to the creative problem-solving process.” 

With an Academic Innovation Fund grant in hand, Maxwell is formally running a pilot of the course this semester with students from multiple institutions. Based on this experience, he will then decide how to scale up the experience, before standardizing the curriculum. It is the first time he has worked with his collaborators to offer the course both in person and online for credit to students both at York and elsewhere. 

“We have only Canadian students this year, but we’re working out how to give credit to research students globally,” he said. “We underestimated the logistics of getting courses approved for credit outside the country.” 

It’s not only an interprovincial student body, but an interdisciplinary one. While 70 per cent of the students are engineers, about 15 per cent come from science and the remainder from fields such as psychology and business. 

“The challenge of increasing the success of research commercialization is a global one, this course gives people the framework and tools to follow a structured journey from innovation to adoption,” Maxwell said. A unique aspect of the course is the level of peer interaction and reflective learning. Students get and give a lot of feedback on each project, so they feel both a sense of ownership and that they’ve contributed to someone’s success. 

“We basically use a design-thinking iterative approach, where each week participants need to take a step forward then check their assumptions against the marketplace and user needs. When you test your assumptions and fail, then you build resilience – a core ingredient for eventual success.” 

As with the BEST program for technology entrepreneurship that Maxwell runs, he believes that working at the intersection of business, law and engineering, York has “something very special” to offer the world.  

“This course is a great way to extend the impact of the University and virtually every technology we have in the class links directly to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals,” he said. “We’re translating research into innovative solutions while also building global research partnerships.” 

Lassonde’s partnership, whether with business or with other universities, is serving all the partners well. 

York research delegation to lead water security panel at UN Water Conference

water droplet

A York delegation will head to New York City March 21 to bring their research expertise to the UN 2023 Water Conference.

The delegates will lead a panel discussion on water security and climate change; the panel is one of a select group of side events included in the program.

Sapna Sharma
Sapna Sharma

“Very few side events led by a university were approved. My colleagues and I are excited for this opportunity on the international stage to demonstrate York’s exemplary work in this field,” said Sapna Sharma, an associate professor in the Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, and one of the world’s foremost experts on the effects of climate change on lake ice and water quality.

“Our panel will amplify Indigenous and Black voices, and focus on the challenges that these marginalized communities face with respect to water security globally,” Sharma said. “We will also talk about technological solutions and what people are doing to help solve the water crisis in their own way.”

The York delegation will be joined on the panel by researchers from Toronto Metropolitan University and Queen’s University, as well as representatives from: Global Water Promise, a non-profit organization focused on bringing clean water to developing countries; Stockholm International Water Institute, a foundation for water governance; and mWater, a free data management platform for water and sanitation providers.   

For Sharma, the panel’s model of knowledge co-production is critical to creating the climate resiliency necessary for the future.

“By merging knowledge together, we can come up with better policies and tangible solutions for the water crisis that disproportionately affects racialized women and children,” she said. 

The UN side event is also reflective of the collaborative research approach found at York, including in water-related fields. The York delegates are members of One WATER, a new Organized Research Unit, as well as the Dahdaleh Institute for Global Health Research, and CIFAL York, a UN training arm. In addition to Sharma, they include:

  • Satinder Brar, professor, Lassonde School of Engineering
  • Marina Freire Gormaly, assistant professor, Lassonde School of Engineering
  • Ellie Perkins, professor, Faculty of Environmental & Urban Change
  • Mary Bunch, associate professor, School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design
  • Susan Rogers Van Katwyk, adjunct professor and managing director, Global Strategy Lab
  • Jessica Keeshig-Martin, PhD student, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies
  • Hibaq Gelle, MA student, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies

The delegation will be joined at the conference by York University President and Vice-Chancellor Rhonda Lenton and Vice-President Research and Innovation Amir Asif. While in New York, the pair will meet with UN and government officials, global partners, and others, to discuss York University’s leadership in water research and sustainability initiatives.

The trip to the UN Water Conference comes on the heels of the release of York’s Microlecture Series in Sustainable Living, SDG Week Canada and coincides with Climate Change Research Month at the University.  

York delegation’s panel, called Water Security, Disasters, and Resilience in a Changing Climate: Challenges, Opportunities, and Solutions, takes place on March 24. The UN Water Conference, co-hosted by the governments of Tajikistan and the Netherlands, takes place March 22 to 24.

Film on York research looks at past to chart future of climate change

lake ice climate change

As contemporary climate change literature continues to develop, Sapna Sharma, an associate professor of biology at York University, glimpses 700 years into the past to better predict the future.

On March 20, as a part of Climate Change Research Month, the 58th CENTRAL Canadian Symposium on Water Quality Research and the One WATER World Water Day Conference, York University will host a screening of Omiwatari – a documentary on Sharma’s study of ice coverage of Japanese lakes throughout history to reveal pre- and post-industrial climate trends.

Sapna Sharma
Sapna Sharma

Historically, when Lake Suwa – the largest lake in Nagano, Japan – froze over in the winter, a rare phenomenon called omiwatari, or God’s crossing, took place. Sharp changes in temperature throughout balmy days and frigid nights caused the lake’s frozen surface to expand and contract, carving out cracks of ice that spanned the entire lake. Local legend stated that the cracks formed when unseeable gods, living on opposite ends of Lake Suwa, ran to meet each other on the ice each winter – an auspicious event that brought good fortune to Nagano. Centuries ago, omiwatari was observed in regular intervals, today it is an increasingly rare occurrence.

Sharma’s research focuses on the impacts of climate change on freshwater lakes, she has been documenting the ice coverage of Lake Suwa with the help of Kiyoshi Miyasaka, chief priest of the Tenaga Jinga shrine since 2012.

Miyasaka’s shrine has kept continuous records of Nagano’s lakes since 1443, with some observations recorded millenia earlier. Maintained by 15 generations of Shinto priests, the shrine’s lake records are amongst the longest record of meteorological observations anywhere on Earth. These ice records began well before the Industrial Revolution and have helped Sharma and her team understand how the climate is changing, even since before the advent of weather stations.

Filmmaker and multimedia artist Zeesy Powers was attending a Royal Canadian Institute for Science lecture when she first heard about Sharma’s research on omiwatari. Three years later, Sharma agreed to take part in a documentary on her work. Sharma provided the initial funding to get to Nagano. One year later, Powers was able to secure funding from the Canada Council for the Arts to complete it.

Powers travelled to Nagano at the end of Winter 2020 to capture Lake Suwa in a year without omiwatari – in fact, the lake remained absent of ice coverage entirely.

“We hope by sharing this story and our scientific understanding from this almost 700-year long ice record, we are able to convey how fast climate is changing and the urgency in which action is required to collectively begin reducing our greenhouse gas emissions,” Sharma said.

Powers remarked that in making the film, she had unwittingly travelled across the world mere days before the first widespread lockdowns of the COVID-19 pandemic to document a less apparent, but potentially more destructive, global catastrophe.

“I was only in Japan for a month, and there was a slowly dawning sense that things were really going sideways,” Powers said. “We were so focused on this story that the pandemic was just an ominous background. It’s hard to feel like the present is of any significance when you’re holding [centuries-old artifacts] in your hands while talking about the permanent end to winter…

“The climate catastrophe is overwhelming and it’s easy to feel powerless in the face of it,” she added. “Presenting this tragedy highlights the immediacy of these losses, but also the hope that we are capable of adapting.”

The Omiwatari screening begins at 4 p.m. in the Second Student Centre and is followed by a Q-and-A with Sharma and Powers. All York community members are welcome, registration is not required. To learn more about Omiwatari, click here.

York students win top prizes at Ontario Japanese Speech Contest

Award stock image banner from pexels

The 41st annual Ontario Japanese Speech Contest (OJSC), where six York undergraduates secured podium positions, was held at the University of Toronto on March 4 and marked the first time that the event returned in person since 2020.

In total, eight students from the Japanese Studies Program, in the Department of Languages, Literatures & Linguistics (DLLL) at the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies (LA&PS), competed in front of a large crowd that was undeterred by the inclement weather earlier that day. Three York students will advance to the national contest.

Those eight students collectively qualified for three competition categories: beginner, intermediate, and advanced level speech. Of the eight students, the six who were awarded for their speeches were:

  • Grand prize (Advanced first): Risha Pelchat (AP/JP2010) for “Me? ‘Mademoiselle’? ‘Xiao Jie’?”
  • Intermediate first: Ava-karie Hislop (AP/JP2000) for “Current Artists and Social Media”
  • Shinkikai-Sagamihara City Award (Beginners first): Arman Ahmed (AP/JP1000) for “Break Out of Your Shell!”
  • Intermediate second: Chengsi Ma (AP/JP2000) for “The Unknown Master of Ghibli”
  • Beginners second: Maximos Yao (AP/JP1000) for “Summer Harvest”
  • Intermediate third: for Afia Fobi (AP/JP2000) for “Are you a night owl or a morning person?”
York contestants at Ontario Japanese Speech Contest

Pelchat delivered a speech on her personal struggle as a transgender woman, detailing how people’s unseemly, small gestures – such as addressing others with their preferred salutations or names – could evoke feelings of “gender euphoria.” Pelchat was awarded a return ticket to Japan as the grand prize, which she plans to use to visit the country in the near future. Ahmed received the Shinkikai-Sagamihara City Award which also provides him with a trip to Japan and opportunity to visit the City of Sagamihara and its people. Pelchat, Ahmed and Hislop will be participating in the Canadian National Japanese Speech Contest in their respective categories at the Japan Foundation in Toronto on March 26.

“The Japanese Studies program is extremely delighted by the outstanding achievements made by the York students. All of them worked so hard, and their Japanese language proficiency has improved tremendously through this experience,” says Noriko Yabuki-Soh, associate professor in the DLLL and Chair of the OJSC Organizing Committee this year.

Yabuki-Soh and department colleagues Associate Professor Norio Ota and faculty members Kumiko Inutsuka, Akiko Mitsui and Eri Takahashi coached the students leading up to the contest. Inutsuka and Takahashi also served on OJSC’s organizing committee.

York researchers bring exhibit on conjugal slavery to Sierra Leone

A young woman’s green skirt containing bullet holes is one of several haunting artifacts that comprise Ododo Wa: Stories of Girls in War, an international travelling exhibit that focuses on the lives of Evelyn Amony and Grace Acan.

The two women were abducted as children in the 1990s, forced into marriages, and held captive for years by the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), a rebel group in Uganda. Amony was wearing the green skirt the day she was freed from LRA captivity.

Professor Annie Bunting (front row, second from the left) and Grace Acan (front row, second from the right) in Sierra Leone.
Professor Annie Bunting (front row, second from the left) and Grace Acan (front row, second from the right) in Sierra Leone

Ododo Wa – “our stories” in the Acholi language – features artwork, short films, photographs and Amony and Acan’s personal belongings in order to help detail their stories of survival and their paths to freedom.

The pair helped develop the exhibit alongside Isabella Masson, curator at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, and in partnership with Professor Annie Bunting, York University researcher and the director of a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Partnership Grant project, Conjugal Slavery in War: Partnerships for the study of enslavement, marriage and masculinities.

“It is our hope that the exhibit helps survivors open up about their experiences and helps them find the courage to advocate for their needs,” said Amony, now a human rights advocate in Uganda, and co-founder of the Women’s Advocacy Network, alongside Acan.

The exhibit is one of the outcomes of the SSHRC grant and aims to amplify the experiences of women in war, and the advocacy and work of survivors. It mobilizes what Bunting refers to as “difficult knowledge” by employing creative methods to share these experiences.

“The traveling exhibit has been shared in Uganda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and now in Sierra Leone, facilitating important conversations about justice and reparations from the perspective of survivors and mobilizing community-based research,” said Bunting, a professor of law and society in the Department of Social Science.

Bunting and the research team, alongside Amony and Acan, flew to Sierra Leone to launch the exhibit at the Sierre Leone Peace Museum in Freetown. It’s a significant trip as the Peace Museum stands on the site of what once was the Special Court of Sierra Leone (SCSL) – the first international court to find abduction for forced marriage in conflict situations to be a crime against humanity.

For Acan, taking the exhibit to Sierra Leone helps continue her and Amony’s advocacy work for justice and reparations.  

“Survivors must not be forgotten,” she said. “They need to be supported to heal in a holistic and survivor-centred manner for them to live meaningful and productive lives.”

The exhibit ran in Sierra Leone from Feb. 28 to March 2.

York co-sponsors transformational multi-sector conversation on Canada’s Asia-Pacific engagement

people sitting in a lecture hall

By Elaine Smith

York University President Rhonda Lenton this week attended the inaugural Canada-in-Asia Conference (CIAC) in Singapore, where she moderated a panel on higher education co-operation in the Asia-Pacific, engaged distinguished York alumni and met with senior government officials, university leaders and industry representatives from Canada and the region.

The first-ever CIAC was organized by the Asia-Pacific Foundation of Canada and Universities Canada. York University was an academic sponsor of the conference, attracting hundreds of industry captains, distinguished Canadian-university alumni, senior government officials from Canada and the region, as well as presidents of Canadian and regional universities and other Asia-Pacific thought leaders.

(left to right): Julie Lafford (Assistant Vice President, Alumni Engagement), Rhonda Lenton (President and Vice-Chancellor), Sarah Bay-Cheng (Dean of AMPD) and Vinitha Gengatharan (Assistant Vice-President, Global Engagement & Partnerships)
(Left to right): Julie Lafford (assistant vice-president, Alumni Engagement), Rhonda Lenton (president and vice-chancellor), Sarah Bay-Cheng (dean of AMPD) and Vinitha Gengatharan (assistant vice-president, Global Engagement & Partnerships)

The conference brought together Canadian stakeholders and their network of alumni and partners to strategize about Canadian efforts to build stronger ties in a region that has over 65 per cent of the world’s population.  

It took place against the backdrop of the Canadian government’s commitment to invest billions of dollars towards growing Canada’s Asia-Pacific Engagement via ASEAN (the Association of Southeast Nations) and other regional partners.  

Conversations at the conference focused on geo-political trends, trade and investment, United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs), higher education co-operation, talent flow and technology.  

“We are excited by our prime minister’s announcement that Canada is making a ‘generational-shift’ in investing in Asia, and how this enables conversations like the ones held at this conference. We are already seeing this pledge yield tangible results within months of his announcement through the inaugural Canada-in-Asia Conference and the Asia-Pacific Foundation’s plans for a regional office,” said Lenton. “The Canada-in-Asia Conference provides an unprecedented opportunity for us to work smarter and more effectively in the Asia-Pacific region by bringing Canadians and Canada’s friends in the region under one roof. Universities such as York University bring tremendous value to these conversations.”

Sharing the vision of York’s Global Engagement Strategy

On the sidelines of the conference, Lenton met with senior government officials, university leaders and industry representatives from Canada and the region. She also visited the National University of Singapore and Singapore Management University to meet with their presidents to discuss research, entrepreneurship, experiential learning and sustainability. During these conversations, Lenton shared York’s inaugural Global Engagement Strategy priorities and exchanged ideas about working together in the region.    

“As a York alumnus and Singapore’s representative in Canada, I am proud to see York’s new Global Engagement Strategy position the University in important national and multilateral conversations like the Canada-in-Asia Conference 2023,” said Chia-yi Chua, Singapore’s honorary consul-general in Toronto and York alumnus (Osgoode Hall Law, 1993). “I am confident it would serve York’s objectives to better engage the region, improve its visibility in the region, strengthen alumni relations and increase strategic partnerships.”

Connecting with alumni

Engaging alumni to strengthen Canada’s reach in the region was an integral part of CIAC.

Lenton hosted an “alumni and friends” reception during her visit, including a speech from Sara Wilshaw, Canada’s chief trade commissioner and alumna. High school counsellors, admitted degree-seeking students, York students in Singapore and Singaporean university students planning to travel to York were also invited to attend the reception.

Lenton and Sarah Bay-Cheng, dean of the School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design, connected with many distinguished York alumni during their visit at CIAC and other engagements, including: Hian Siang Chan and Paulina Lau, who supported the Paulina Lau Scholars Program; Venka Purushothaman, deputy president, La Salle College of the Arts; Cameron Mackay, high commissioner of Canada in India; and Navdeep Bains, CIBC vice-chair of Global Investment Banking and former minister of innovation, science, and economic Development.

Promoting Canada as a compelling partner in the Asia-Pacific

During the conference and surrounding events, Lenton discussed Canada’s value as a compelling partner, noting Canada’s ability to work across many cultures and peoples domestically and abroad, and its willingness to have difficult conversations on decolonization to redress historical wrongs.

Lenton also noted that Canadian universities are considered leaders in advancing the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) according to Times Higher Education (THE). The ranking closely evaluates universities on how they advance UN SDGs in collaboration with local and global partners. York University was named in the world’s top 35 in the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings 2022 for strengthening its impact on the UN SDGs.

President Rhonda Lenton leads delegation to Mexico

hands holding a globe

By Elaine Smith

York University President Rhonda Lenton recently participated in a keynote fireside chat on the importance of virtual internationalization, at the ninth International Conference on Educational Innovation (CIIE) in Mexico.

Lenton led the delegation that attended the conference, which was hosted by York’s partner, Tecnológico de Monterrey (TEC), in January. The delegation provided the opportunity to connect with alumni and strengthen York’s partnerships in the region.

“Sharing the Vision for Online Internationalization”

During the fireside chat, titled “Sharing the Vision for Online Internationalization,” facilitated by José Escamilla, associate director of the Institute for the Future of Education at Tecnológico de Monterrey, Lenton shared lessons York has learned about the future of higher education during these past few years. She discussed examples of pedagogical innovation including globally networked learning (GNL), online internationalization and new technologies that have been further spurred by the pandemic.

Rhonda Lenton
Rhonda Lenton

“York’s vision as a high-quality, internationally recognized research university has been part of the University’s identity since it was founded in 1959. Ensuring that our students graduate with the knowledge and skills they need for success and strengthening our impact on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals by working across sectors with local and global partnerships are central tenets of our academic plan,” Lenton said.

“Online internationalization has been crucial in enhancing access and lowering barriers to global learning initiatives throughout the pandemic and beyond as more students are able to engage with peers at home and around the world. It facilitates the exchange of ideas and knowledge, incorporates new perspectives, widens access to global competencies and co-creates sustainable and inclusive solutions.”

The delegation’s visit came on the heels of the Three Amigos summit in Mexico between Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, American President Joe Biden and Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, and offered a perfect opportunity to strengthen the University’s ties with Mexico and partners in Latin America.

Globally networked learning

York has been a strong proponent of online educational innovation initiatives such as GNL, an approach to teaching, learning and research that enables students, faculty and non-academic researchers from different locations around the world to participate in, and collaborate on, knowledge-making processes and concrete research projects. 

To date, York faculty have implemented 25 projects between York and partners and engaged over 40 faculty members and more than 900 students from 15 countries.

James Simeon, an associate professor in the School of Public Policy and Administration, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies (LA&PS), has been one of the most enthusiastic GNL adopters at York, and TEC has been a regular collaborator in his seven GNL projects, based on his courses International Refugee Protection Regime I and II.

“The GNL relationship between our colleagues at TEC and myself will strengthen and deepen since actually meeting for the very first time in person and presenting together on a panel at CIIE 2023,” said Simeon.

Connecting with alumni and building partnerships

The trip to Mexico also featured York’s first alumni gathering in Mexico City.

“Getting to reflect on how York U shaped my future and career with Dr. Lenton and other alumni was very special, especially given that it is thanks to a York International internship that I now live in Mexico City and work for the Howard G. Buffett Foundation,” said alumna Ana Vianei, who assists the organization’s goals to improve quality of life for marginalized populations across the world.

During the trip, York was able to deepen its relationships with its two Mexican partners, TEC and Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM). York delegates participated in the Hemispheric Universities Consortium (HUC) meeting that followed the conference; York was the only Canadian university to be a member.

“The visit has not only strengthened our partnerships with universities in Mexico, but reinforced York University’s commitment to advancing global engagement and to our cutting-edge work in GNL,” said Vinitha Gengatharan, assistant vice-president, global engagement and partnerships. “The conference itself has highlighted to us the world’s common interest in the future of education. It was not only high quality, but also accessible, flexible and underscored the importance of strengthening ties and sharing insights with our outstanding partners in Mexico and elsewhere.”

CIFAL rapid response training task force invites York faculty members

Group Of Students Meeting For Tutorial With Teacher

CIFAL York is working with Architects Without Borders (ASF) to mobilize a rapid response training task force to examine the situation in Turkey and Syria after the devastating Feb. 6 earthquake.

CIFAL and ASF will work together to identify immediate training needs for post-earthquake relief and the recovery/reconstruction phase. The rapid response training will focus on various aspects and target a range of audiences including the public, service providers and volunteers (architects, planners, engineers, designers, etc.) involved in post-disaster relief, recovery and reconstruction, particularly for the most vulnerable areas and groups.

CIFAL York is seeking assistance from York University faculty members. Those interested in joining the task force and being part of the training team should contact CIFAL York Director Ali Asgary at asgary@yorku.ca. Learn more about the opportunity here.

CIFAL centres provide innovative training throughout the world and serve as hubs for the exchange of knowledge among government officials, the private sector, academia and civil society. Learn more about CIFAL here.