Your August 2022 edition
Welcome to the International Insights newsletter, a monthly roundup of news, opportunities and updates with an international focus, curated by Western International for the Western community.
Enhanced and expanded International Orientation August 31 to September 3
As you may know, Western International is hosting an expanded and enhanced International Student Orientation this year, which will take place August 31-September 3. Approximately 1,000 new international students are expected to take part in four days of programming with the goal of helping them get settled and start their Western experience off on the best possible path.
In addition to a number of social events, activities and information sessions, we will host a Welcome Ceremony on September 2 in Alumni Hall, which will include welcome remarks from Mayor Ed Holder, the City of London’s Newcomers Co-Chair Dev Sainani, as well as Florentine Strzelczyk, Provost & Vice-President (Academic), representatives from the USC and SOGS, and a special performance by the Eagle Flight Singers, a London-based First Nations group.
Mitacs GRI program brings student researchers from around the world to Western
More than 50 international students from 10 different countries are at Western this summer, completing research in astrophysics, climate change, artificial intelligence and a wide range of other areas of study.
The students are part of the Mitacs Globalink Research Internship (GRI) program - a competitive initiative for international undergraduates from countries around the world. From May to October of each year, top-ranked applicants participate in a 12-week research internship under the supervision of Canadian university faculty members to develop additional exposure to the Canadian research and innovation landscape, and build research experience in Canada.
Western Heads East Anniversary Webinar Series
As part of the anniversary celebration, Western Heads East will be hosting a series of webinars this fall.
Don't miss this opportunity to connect and engage with faculty and staff members at Western and international partners and learn about areas for collaboration in research related to fermented foods, social enterprise, gender equity and women's empowerment. Thank you to our generous sponsors for this series, Research Western and Lawson Health Research Institute.
WCC alumna’s new company selected for accelerator program
When Linta Mustafa, BHSc’19, learned her start-up company had been selected for the highly competitive Spring 2022 Techstars NYC Accelerator Program, she was thrilled by the prospect of putting her networking and pitching skills to the test once again.
As a World’s Challenge Challenge Global Final alumna who represented Western in 2017, Mustafa spent a few years in investment banking after graduation, before returning to entrepreneurship and focusing on her passion for health care.
After meeting her future co-founder, Chidozie Ojobor, a PhD graduate in Molecular Genetics, the two started ideating and soon developed the vision for Vitract, a gut health company focused on improving mental health outcomes. Vitract’s three-month program offers a holistic approach to mental wellness by pairing gut technology with clinical care to treat root cause of illness versus just the symptoms.
New Western International Facebook page
Western International is consolidating three Facebook pages (Western Heads East, International Learning and IESC) to one Western International page that will feature content related to all areas of the unit.
Visit our new Western International page at facebook.com/westernuinternational.
International Doctoral Research Awards 2022
Universities Canada has launched the 2022 IDRC International Development Research Awards (IDRA). The program is intended to build capacity and develop research skills in Canada and the Global South to improve the lives of people in the developing world.
Awards will cover the costs of field research conducted for a doctoral dissertation in one or more countries in the Global South.
The deadline for applications is Wednesday, August 31, 2022.
Did you know?
International travel continues to be subject to significant disruptions, including enhanced screening and border measures. It is critical that students follow Western’s steps to travel closely, including reviewing Global Affairs advisories, completing pre-departure modules, reviewing health and travel insurance coverage, and entering their travel information in Western’s travel registry.
If you have ideas, suggestions or opportunities with an international focus to share, please let us know at wicomms@uwo.ca.
