Where did western honey bees come from? New research finds the sweet spot

Two honey bees on lavender plants

For decades, scientists have hotly debated the origin of the western honey bee. Now, new research led by York University discovered these popular honey-producing bees most likely originated in Asia.

From there, the western honey bee (Apis mellifera) expanded independently into Africa and Europe creating seven separate geographically and genetically distinct evolutionary lineages traceable back to Western Asia.

The western honey bee is used for crop pollination and honey production throughout most of the world, and has a remarkable capacity for surviving in vastly different environments – from tropical rainforest, to arid environments, to temperate regions with cold winters. It is native to Africa, Europe and Asia, and was recently believed to have originated in Africa.

The research team sequenced 251 genomes from 18 subspecies from the honey bee’s native range and used this data to reconstruct the origin and pattern of dispersal of honey bees. The team found that an Asian origin – likely western Asia – was strongly supported by the genetic data.

“As one of the world’s most important pollinators, it’s essential to know the origin of the western honey bee to understand its evolution, genetics and how it adapted as it spread,” says corresponding author Professor Amro Zayed of York University’s Faculty of Science.

The study also highlights that the bee genome has several “hot spots” that allowed honey bees to adapt to new geographic areas. While the bee genome has more than 12,000 genes, only 145 of them had repeated signatures of adaptation associated with the formation of all major honey bee lineages found today.

“Our research suggests that a core-set of genes allowed the honey bee to adapt to a diverse set of environmental conditions across its native range by regulating worker and colony behaviour,” says York University PhD student Kathleen Dogantzis of the Faculty of Science, who led the research.

To learn more, watch these videos: https://youtu.be/TIAapN_uG4A and https://youtu.be/4jiRCXe5r_c.

This adaptation also allowed for the development of some 27 different subspecies of honey bees.

“It’s important to understand how locally adapted subspecies and colony-level selection on worker bees, contributes to the fitness and diversity of managed colonies,” says Dogantzis.

The sequencing of these bees also led to the discovery of two distinct lineages, one in Egypt and another in Madagascar.

The researchers hope their study finally lays to the rest the question of where the western honey bee came from so future research can further explore how they adapted to different climates and geographic areas.

The paper, “Thrice out of Asia and the adaptive radiation of the western honey bee,” was published today in the journal Science Advances.

York U in the news: anti-Black racism, meteor showers and more

An image of a woman with a laptop that shows the YFile website

What Cargill workers want
York University Associate Vice-President Research and Professor Jennifer Hyndman was quoted in CBC News Dec. 1.

Politics This Morning: Amita meets the press
York University professor Steven Hoffman was quoted in Hill Times Dec. 1.

York signs charter to fight against anti-Black racism
York University President and Vice-Chancellor Rhonda Lenton and Professor Leslie Sanders were quoted in Excalibur Nov. 30.

International students need increased mental health support now more than ever
York University student Ghazala Ayubi was quoted in Excalibur Nov. 30.

Geminids: One of the year’s best meteor showers set to return this December
York University Assistant Professor Elaina Hyde was quoted in CTV News Nov. 30.

Birdwatchers swoop in on Barrie to catch glimpse of rare gull (4 photos)
York University Associate Professor Alex Mills was quoted in Collingwood Today Nov. 30.

Cargill And UFCW 401 Back At The Bargaining Table
York University was mentioned in SwiftCurrent Nov. 30.

Schools need to step up to address Islamophobia
York University student Nada Aoudeh was published in National Post Nov. 30.

Minding the gap
York University student Dylan Skurka was featured in Philosophy Now Nov. 30.

Canada’s stringent screenings for medical transition ignore gender-related perspectives and experiences

research graphic

Individuals seeking gender-affirming hormones and surgeries have to jump through hoops to prove they are truly transgender, says York University Professor Kinnon R. MacKinnon

Canada’s stringent eligibility screenings for medical transition – to prevent “regret” or detransition – ignore transgender people’s gender-related perspectives and experiences, says York Professor Kinnon R. MacKinnon, lead author of a new study.

Kinnon R. MacKinnon
Kinnon R. MacKinnon

It’s impossible for anyone to know with 100 per cent certainty how they will feel after transformative medical interventions such as gender-affirming hormones, says MacKinnon. “So, the common narratives that a trans person who detransitions is a failure, or is in a botched or medically harmed body, or was never really trans, reflect cisgender misunderstandings about trans people.”

According to the study, “Preventing transition “regret”: An institutional ethnography of gender-affirming medical care assessment practices in Canada” published in the December issue of Elsevier’s Social Science & Medicine journal, there is little evidence that detransition is caused by medical failure, at the same time, clinical assessments suggest clinicians’ fear of liability.

The study highlights that the medical standards were created in the 1960s by cisgender doctors who largely feared lawsuits by patients seeking medical transition; and the eligibility checklists that health care providers use today are reflective of this history.

Another concern identified in the study is that some surgeons send their transgender patients for additional psychiatric assessments, and the psychiatrist acts as an added security blanket to assuage worries about transition regret and malpractice lawsuit. These practices erroneously cast transgender people as more “risky” patients, the study reveals.

Since transgender identity is conflated with mental illness, double standards in surgical decision-making arise, notes MacKinnon, who is in the School of Social Work, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies. “Cisgender women, for instance, are never required to get a psychiatric capacity assessment for breast implants. Cisgender men do not require a capacity assessment to have chest implant surgery. But transgender people have to go through ‘mental readiness’ assessments.”

The study also highlights that there are barely any quality peer-reviewed studies to substantiate the claim that regret/detransitioning is on the rise.

“Even if detransition rates are increasing, we don’t know the proportion of those who truly regret this outcome, versus those who have a positive outlook,” says MacKinnon. “Adding to the problem are disproportionate media representations which amplify only negative or ‘regretful’ detransition stories, while excluding detransitioners who experience their transition outcomes as neutral or even positive.”

The research team included Florence Ashley, Faculty of Law and Joint Centre for Bioethics, University of Toronto; Hannah Kia in the School of Social Work, University of British Columbia; J. S.H. Lam, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health; Yonah Krakowsky, Division of Urology, University of Toronto; and Lori Ross, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto.

Based on this research, MacKinnon is leading a follow-up study, which aims to develop better guidance for care providers who work with transgender, detransitioned and other gender diverse populations who stop transitioning or change the direction of their gender transitions.

Nikolaus Troje

Nikolaus Troje
Nikolaus Troje

Biology Professor and York U BioMotion Lab Director Nikolaus Troje talks to Research2Reality about what drives his curiosity about the nature of perceptual representations

LA&PS celebrates student research excellence

Image announcing Awards

The Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies (LA&PS) is celebrating the fourth annual Dean’s Award for Research Excellence (DARE) by recognizing 54 students for their research achievements.

This year’s DARE recipients produced meaningful work across all disciplines offered in LA&PS. Over the summer, each student played an integral role in coordinating projects that added valuable scholarly inquiry to the social sciences, humanities, and professional studies.

Each recipient was awarded $5,000 and paired with faculty members to explore urgent research subjects, including health care, work policies during the COVID-19 pandemic, digital data collection practices, issues impacting diaspora communities and more.

To commemorate the experiences from this year’s competition, LA&PS developed a virtual gallery showcasing each student and the DARE Project descriptions of the instructor-led research objectives.

“DARE is a wonderful opportunity to nurture mentorship and collaboration between instructors and students,” says Ravi de Costa, associate dean of Research & Graduate Studies. “This year’s research projects demonstrate the range and quality of the work taking place in LA&PS. Our faculty is dedicated to supporting creative and impactful work across all of our disciplines, and the DARE competition continues to expand on these efforts.”

For the award recipients, the projects serve as key stepping stones to future endeavours – whether in their respective fields beyond the university setting or continued academic research. Through their reflections, many of this year’s winners cited the unique hands-on experience as their favourite aspect of the process.

Kiana Therrien-Tomas

Fourth-year political science student, Kiana Therrien-Tomas, was pleased with the practical skills she acquired.

Looking back on the time spent working with Department of Politics Professor Simone Bohn on a project titled, “Collaborating with the state: a double-edged sword? The Brazilian Women’s Movement under the Workers’ Party administrations,” Therrien-Tomas explains, “this experience has been a great addition to my learning and professional development. It is an honour to receive this award. I can now proudly state that I have taken part in all stages of the research process, and apply the knowledge gained from this experience towards the completion of my undergraduate degree and my endeavours in law school.”

Tiana Putric

Fourth-year Disaster and Emergency Management student, Tiana Putric, echoed these positive sentiments when detailing the experience working with Department of Communication & Media Studies Professor Jonathan Obar on the DARE project, “The Future of Big Data: Understanding Digital Service Data Retention Policies and Implications for Online Privacy.”

“DARE was a transformative experience that left me with several new skills and insights,” said Putric. “I gained experience collecting, analyzing, and summarizing data retention policies and contracts from global digital service providers, learned how to evaluate policies against privacy laws and normative regulatory philosophies, and contributed to the data retention body of knowledge.”

In congratulating this year’s recipients, LA&PS Dean J.J. McMurtry was delighted to see how far the award has come.

“This competition offers an excellent opportunity for students to examine, discover, critique and create with leading researchers in their fields,” he said. “Over the past four years, DARE has exemplified the truly diverse and global scope of the research being done in LA&PS. Once again, our students have exceeded expectations.”

The 2021 DARE gallery can be viewed on the LA&PS website.

Students take on sustainability challenges at UNHack weekend 

Bergeron-Centre-for-Engineering-Excellence-FEATURED

Lassonde’s Bergeron Entrepreneurs in Science & Technology (BEST) program hosted UNHack 2021 from Nov. 19 to 21. The weekend of experiential learning brought undergraduate students from various post-secondary institutions together to work in teams with high school students from grades 11 and 12. Each team worked on solutions to issues centred around the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. 

Chart shows 17 UNSDG goals
The United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals

“It was truly inspiring to see over 400 students develop creative solutions to local problems that are related to the UN Sustainable Development Goals,” said Lassonde engineering Professor Andrew Maxwell, who is the Bergeron Chair in Technology Entrepreneurship.  “I cannot wait to see some of these projects come to life.” 

The students were united by a common passion to make a difference and create a better world. Using the design sprint methodology, the students identified local and global problems, brainstormed an impactful solution and built a feasible implementation plan. Teams met for the first time on Friday, began ideating and building their solution on Saturday and presented their solutions to a panel of expert judges on Sunday. 

Participants chose a challenge that aligned with a UN SDG, encompassing a variety of themes including good health and wellbeing (SDG #3), quality education (SDG #4) and sustainable cities and communities (SDG #11). Many challenges focused on solutions to enhance sustainability at York University, such as improving access to healthy food options on campus or keeping students engaged with mental health and well-being supports. These challenges allowed students to see how their ideas can impact the world and make a positive change, even when starting from a local level.  

UNHack is more than just a traditional hackathon, it helps students recognize their own potential. The solutions developed included visuals, drawings and other creative expressions that were not limited to technology. In addition, the experience allowed participants to make friendships, build a professional network and gain crucial soft skills like teamwork, leadership and problem-solving.  

“I often tend to shy away from collaborative work, however this experience allowed me to experience the benefits of brainstorming as a group and learning how to listen to group members,” said Maria Flores, second-year mechanical engineering student. “A big part of engineering is collaborating with others, and I think this experience will benefit me in my future career.” 

In total, 72 projects made it to the preliminary judging round on Sunday morning with the top nine teams making their way to the final judging round. 

A Zoom screen capture of participants in the Opening Ceremony for the UNHack event
Participants in the UNHack opening ceremony

2021 Winning Teams:  

First Place – Team #99: EcoYork (Atmiya Jadvani, Saimanoj Yarasi, Jiafeng Wang) 

Team #99’s addressed SDG #13: Climate Action by developing a solution to reduce the carbon footprint at student residences. They created an application called EcoYork that would encourage students to reduce their eco-footprint through weekly tasks, sustainable challenges and incentives on campus.  

Second Place – Team #11: Food (Justin Chan, Vanessa Ammirante, Crystal Chang, Ananya Manikandan, Mihn Yu) 

Team #11 addressed SDG #2: Zero Hunger by creating a solution to help York University students facing food insecurity. The team developed a Farm-to-Table initiative, which involved partnering with local farms to provide healthy and affordable meals to students on campus.  

Third Place – Team #58: Spiteful Donkeys (Connor Humphries, Isaiah Chun, Deep Panchal, Rebecca John, Ava Yunus) 

Team #58’s addressed SDG #7: Affordable and Clean Energy by pitching a way to make homes more sustainable and energy efficient. The team presented the idea of moulded pulp for envelope insulation (an environmentally friendly way to insulate homes), which promotes low waste and less energy generation.  

People’s Choice Award – Team #71: C1M4 (Eugene Park, Brigette Eleuteri, Maria Flores, Maranath Hormiz, Mehrab Rizwan) 

Team #71 addressed SDG#11: Sustainable Cities and Communitiesby creating a YorkU Nav-E, a user-friendly and accessible application to help students, especially those who are new to the University, to navigate the campus and help ease their transition to in-person studies.  

“It was amazing to see how our students came together to design and create solutions fo sustainability challenges within our community and beyond,” said Maedeh Sadaghat, program officer at BEST. “The UNHack experience has provided our students with an opportunity to develop critical skills that will help them create a more sustainable future.” 

Organizers of UNHack received support from the following external event sponsors: KPM Power, Scotiabank and Summerfresh. University partners supporting the event were: YorkU Sustainability Office, K2I Academy, NSTAMP, SDG Hub, the Centre for Human Rights, Equity and Inclusion, Student Counselling, Health and Well-being as well as from Lassonde Professor Magdalena Krol, Lassonde mentors and the organizing team.

Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change Dean Alice Hovorka and Nicole Arsenault, program director, Sustainability, provided opening remarks at the event. 

Elliott Atkins, Karen Lai, Subashini Kangesan, Nicole Arsenault, Lassonde Professor Usman Khan and Keith Loo served as expert judges.   

McLaughlin’s International Lecture to explore refugee cases before international courts

Refugee mother and child in Idomeni

On Tuesday, Dec. 7 at 12:30 p.m., Hilkka C. Becker, chairperson of the International Protection Appeals Tribunal, will join the McLaughlin College International Lecture to virtually present, “The UNHCR and the Enforcement of Refugee Protection before International Courts: Amicus and Third-Party Submissions before the ECtHR.”

Hikka C. Becker
Hilkka C. Becker

The lecture, hosted by the Office of the College Head and Human Rights Watch (HRW), will outline the potential wider application of the UNHCR’s (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) amicus role in refugee cases before international courts. Using the jurisprudence of the ECtHR (European Court of Human Rights), as the prime example, the discussion will explore the impact of the UNHCR’s interventions on the evolution and development of international refugee law in Europe and conclude with the assessment of the use of strategic litigation by the UNHCR in fulfilling its supervisory role in the advancement of refugee protection.

Becker has served as the chairperson of the International Protection Appeals Tribunal since April 2017. Previously, she was a deputy chairperson of the tribunal and served as a part-time Member of the Refugee Appeals Tribunal from 2013 to 2016.  Becker is a lawyer with over 20 years professional experience specializing in asylum, migration and human rights law. She holds an advanced diploma in Data Protection Law from The Honorable Society of King’s Inns and a post-graduate diploma in Employment Law from University College Dublin. Since 1998, Becker is registered to practise in Germany and is a practising solicitor in Ireland since 2003. She has acted in immigration, EU free movement, refugee and citizenship law before the superior courts in Ireland as well as before the ECtHR and the Court of Justice of the European Union. 

To register for the event, click here.

Schulich Executive Education Centre launches digital credentials for its education courses

A person is using a computer

Digital credentials are fast becoming an accepted way for individuals and employers to connect for roles that have increasingly specific requirements. With the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to scan resumes or online profiles, and the prolific usage of social media (LinkedIn, etc.), both job seekers and employers need easily identifiable – and verifiable – ways of matching people to jobs.

The Schulich Executive Education Centre (SEEC) at York University launched its digital credentials on Nov. 15, with a range of digital badges and certificates available through the Credly platform for most of its executive education courses.

Rami Mayer
Rami Mayer

“SEEC digital credentials fulfill our commitment to a learner’s lifelong learning, skilling and upskilling by certifying their ongoing achievements and acquisition of new skills at various stages of individuals’ career,” said Rami Mayer, SEEC executive director. “Our participants will be able to integrate critical skillsets while supporting the pursuit of their individual career goals in a stackable, portable and personalized way. Our digital credentials will help match participants to the more detailed requirements of jobs now and in the future.”

A digital credential is a secure, encrypted symbol acknowledging that the person displaying it has successfully completed a course and acquired a new skill that directly relates to their employability.

SEEC is now providing two types of digital credentials: badges and certificates.

Badges are provided for the skills an earner acquires in a course. Most courses at SEEC offer badges and there are two types based on the level of skill they signify: foundational and advanced. A foundational badge signifies that a learner has gained information and insights into new skills and how they apply to their work. An advanced badge shows the learner has also been able to apply that knowledge at a strategic, organizational level.

A certificate is provided when the participant completes a longer course of sequential learning that may comprise several badges. In addition to certificate programs, there is a series of more extensive courses that confer a masters certificate, which can include multiple individual certificates and badges.

Credentials are stored in a blockchain-encrypted digital wallet, making them easily but securely shareable on social media profiles and websites. Employers can also use digital credentials to verify your professional development. Credential earners can more easily display the professional development skills they have acquired rather than having to share a paper certificate, which is less secure.

For more information on SEEC digital credentials and programs that carry them, visit the SEEC website.

Alumni connect with MES students during Anita McBride Alumni Mentoring Workshop

Masters of Environmental Studies (MES) students in York University’s Faculty of Environmental & Urban Change (EUC) connected with alumni during the annual Anita McBride Mentoring Workshop, held this year on Oct. 19.

Anita McBride
Anita McBride

Masters of Environmental Studies (MES) students in York University’s Faculty of Environmental & Urban Change (EUC) connected with alumni during the annual Anita McBride Mentoring Workshop, held this year on Oct. 19.

For the second year, the event was held virtually, allowing more than 30 alumni from all over the globe to participate in providing advice and mentorship to current MES students.

The annual Anita McBride Mentoring for EUC students and alumni features a panel presentation and networking opportunities for students to connect with program graduates.

McBride was the director of the former Faculty of Environmental Studies (FES) Office of Student & Academic Services. She began working at the Faculty in 1972 and retired in 1999. During her tenure, she built relationships with students and continued to engage them post-graduation as a volunteer, and continues to do so at present. 

“Every year, the mentoring event is the highlight of my autumn,” said McBride. “I so look forward to re-connecting with alumni and faculty and really enjoy meeting current students, hearing about their research interests and watching them engage with alumni. I am thrilled that this event continues to provide value to the grad students and am very grateful for all of the hard work that goes into making it such a success, year after year.”

Professor Leesa Fawcett, graduate program director moderated the event, engaging the alumni panel with questions to illustrate the potential career trajectories of MES graduates. The long-running event, she says, has gained momentum since it’s launch nearly 15 years ago.

“It is an amazingly vibrant and moving event that, this year, brought over 80 people together,” said Fawcett. “There was, knowledge exchanged, connections made, joy and tears shared. Before the internet and Facebook, Anita McBride was an extraordinary, social connecting force, which is why this event matters so much.”

A diverse panel of alumni from various sectors and job pathways participated this year, and shared insights with MES students on how to navigate their time in the program. The alumni participants answered questions on how their post-graduation, and provided tips on navigating the current labour market.

Panelists at the 2021 Anita McBride Luncheon: Anique Jordan (MES '15) – award-winning artist, writer, and curator
Rochelle Strauss (MES '94) – director of education, Toronto Botanical Garden
Evans Rubara (MES '15) – manager, programs and research, Foundation for ASM Development (FADev)
Jason Bevan (MES ’06) – director of city planning strategies, City of Mississauga
Tristan Costa (MES ’18) – planner, City of Brampton

This year’s panelists included:

Anique Jordan (MES ’15) – award-winning artist, writer, and curator
Rochelle Strauss (MES ’94) – director of education, Toronto Botanical Garden
Evans Rubara (MES ’15) – manager, programs and research, Foundation for ASM Development (FADev)
Jason Bevan (MES ’06) – director of city planning strategies, City of Mississauga
Tristan Costa (MES ’18) – planner, City of Brampton

Alumni shared advice with the students and future changemakers, encouraging them to “be excited about what you want to do” (Jordan), “start from where you are and what you know” (Rubrara), “put your name out there and get involved” (Costa), “make connections” (Bevan), and “be brave and reach out to strangers” (Strauss).

Students offered feedback about the event, noting the value of connecting with alumni whose career paths were aligned with their own and learning about alumni accomplishments.

Launch of ‘Living Well Together: Keele Campus Vision and Strategy’

Vari Hall Winter scene showing the Harry Arthurs Common

Living Well Together: Keele Campus Vision and Strategy is a foundational document that sets a clear path forward for re-imagining more than 190 acres on York’s Keele Campus. The document was approved by the Board of Governors of York University at its meeting on Nov. 30. 

La version française suit la version anglaise.

Dear members of the York community,

I am pleased to share that yesterday, the University’s Board of Governors approved Living Well Together: Keele Campus Vision and Strategy, a foundational document that sets a clear path forward for re-imagining more than 190 acres on York’s Keele Campus.  

Centered on the priorities identified within the University Academic Plan 2020–2025: Building a Better Future, and underscored by our commitment to addressing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, we have an opportunity to strengthen our impact as a university, and to further our vision of providing a broad sociodemographic of students with access to a high-quality education at a research-intensive university that is committed to enhancing the well-being of the communities we serve.

Recent world events have influenced our thinking regarding sustainability, equity, diversity, inclusion, and reconciliation. Living Well Together: Keele Campus Vision and Strategy embraces social and environmental responsibility, placing emphasis on projects that help us realize the aspirations of our academic plan, fulfill our commitment to being carbon neutral by 2049 or sooner, and leverage York’s Social Procurement Policy to maximize the positive impact of such a large-scale project.

It is also inspired by our reflections over these past 18 months regarding the future of higher education and how to enhance efforts to utilize the resources we have to strengthen the student learning experience; support new programs in emerging areas of need; and intensify research, entrepreneurship, and incubation, while also meeting community needs. 

These uncertain times also serve as an important reminder that the plan must be a living document, open to revision as circumstances demand and shaped by ongoing consultation and engagement conversations within our community, with our surrounding neighbours and future neighbours, and with other important partners, like community groups, governments, and developers. 

Living Well Together: Keele Campus Vision and Strategy begins with the reinvigoration of the Harry W. Arthurs Common, the heart of the campus and the location of the York University subway stop. The plan also sets out four new neighbourhoods: a commercial centre, a high-tech district, a primarily residential district, and a mixed-use residential, commercial, and athletic neighbourhood adjacent to the Pioneer Village subway stop. Each of the new neighbourhoods will add complementary features and projects that support the University’s academic mission and deliver social benefits like affordable housing and community services — amenities that will serve the York community, our neighbours, and new residents alike.

A 21st century university campus has an important role to play as an anchor institution — as a hub, as a resource for surrounding communities, and as a place to learn and grow. This is a once in a lifetime chance to envision, shape, and develop a truly community-engaged university campus: intentionally inclusive, environmentally sustainable, and welcoming to diverse communities.

With the York University Board of Governors having approved the new Keele Campus Vision and Strategy, we can move forward with the consultation and engagement on preparing a plan for how best to implement the strategy. I look forward to moving this exciting plan forward.

Sincerely,

Rhonda L. Lenton
President and Vice-Chancellor


Lancement de ‘Bien vivre ensemble : Vision et stratégie du campus Keele’  

Chers membres de la communauté de York,

Je suis heureuse de vous annoncer que le Conseil d’administration de l’Université a approuvé hier le plan Bien vivre ensemble : Vision et stratégie du campus Keele, un document clé définissant clairement la voie à suivre pour réimaginer plus de 77 hectares de terrain sur le campus Keele de York. 

Ce plan est centré sur les priorités définies dans le Plan académique de l’Université 2020-2025 : Bâtir un avenir meilleur, et sur notre engagement envers le respect des objectifs de développement durable des Nations Unies. Il nous donne l’occasion de renforcer notre incidence en tant qu’université et de faire avancer notre vision de fournir l’accès à une éducation de grande qualité dans une université axée sur la recherche et vouée au bien collectif à un vaste bassin démographique d’étudiants, tout en nous engageant à améliorer le mieux-être des communautés que nous servons.

Les récents événements mondiaux ont influencé notre réflexion sur la durabilité, l’équité, la diversité, l’inclusion et la réconciliation. Bien vivre ensemble : Vision et stratégie du campus Keele englobe la responsabilité sociale et environnementale, met l’accent sur les projets qui contribuent à réaliser les aspirations de notre plan académique et à atteindre la neutralité carbone d’ici 2049 ou plus tôt et s’appuie sur la Politique d’approvisionnement social de York pour maximiser l’incidence positive d’un projet de cette envergure.

Il s’inspire également des réflexions que nous avons menées au cours de ces 18 derniers mois sur l’avenir de l’enseignement supérieur et sur la manière d’intensifier les efforts visant à utiliser les ressources dont nous disposons afin de consolider l’expérience d’apprentissage des étudiants, de soutenir de nouveaux programmes dans des domaines de besoins émergents et d’intensifier la recherche, l’entrepreneuriat et l’incubation, tout en répondant aux besoins de la communauté. 

Ces temps incertains nous rappellent également que le plan doit être un document évolutif, ouvert à la révision en fonction des circonstances et la pierre d’assise des futures conversations de consultation et d’engagement au sein de notre communauté, avec nos voisins et futurs voisins et avec d’autres partenaires importants, comme les groupes communautaires, les gouvernements et les développeurs. 

Bien vivre ensemble : Vision et stratégie du campus Keele commence par la revitalisation du Harry W. Arthurs Common, le cœur du campus et l’emplacement de l’arrêt de métro York University. Le plan prévoit également la création de quatre nouveaux quartiers : un centre commercial, un district de haute technologie, un district principalement résidentiel et un district à usage mixte (résidentiel, commercial et sportif) adjacent à l’arrêt de métro Pioneer Village. Chacun des nouveaux quartiers ajoutera des caractéristiques et des projets complémentaires qui soutiendront la mission académique de l’Université et qui offriront des avantages sociaux comme des logements abordables et des services communautaires, aménagements qui serviront à la communauté de York, à nos voisins et aux nouveaux résidents.

Un campus universitaire du 21e siècle a un rôle important à jouer en tant qu’institution d’ancrage, de plaque tournante, de ressource pour les communautés environnantes et de lieu d’apprentissage et de développement. C’est une chance inouïe d’imaginer, de façonner et de développer un campus universitaire véritablement engagé envers la communauté : intentionnellement inclusif, écologiquement durable et accueillant pour les diverses communautés.

Le Conseil d’administration de l’Université York ayant approuvé la nouvelle vision et stratégie du campus Keele, nous entamerons le processus de consultation et d’engagement en élaborant un plan pour la mise en œuvre de la stratégie. J’ai hâte de voir progresser ce projet passionnant.

Veuillez agréer mes sincères salutations,

Rhonda L. Lenton
Présidente et vice-chancelière