Your April 2022 edition
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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.
Supporting Global Students & Scholars at Risk
Western is committed to supporting students and scholars facing threats to their lives, liberty and well-being in their home countries due to events beyond their control.
As the horrors of invasion and war persist in Ukraine, the Western community continues to offer support to students, faculty and staff affected, to reach out to support displaced students and scholars, and to provide analysis and insight to help make sense of this devastating global crisis.
As part of our responsibility as a global learning institution, and commitment to quality education, Western has also made a commitment of $600,000 to support students and scholars affected by global crisis.
This new funding builds upon existing support programs that enable students and scholars facing dire humanitarian circumstances and forcible displacement to come to Western to pursue their degree or continue their academic studies and research.
Student teams accept the Challenge to develop solutions to big global issues
Ten teams of Western students pitched their inspiring ideas to solve some of the world's biggest problems at Western's World's Challenge Challenge final competition on March 24, after advancing from an earlier semi-final round.
Awarded the top three prizes were:
- Project Online, focused on providing access to reliable internet in rural Indigenous communities;
- Agri-Edge, a precision agricultural system designed to service the needs of farmers in emerging nations by decreasing the resources needed for crop sustentation;
- and Sustainable Agricultural Solutions, environmentally friendly and easy-to-assemble compost bins that convert crop waste into biofertilizer with the use of African Nightcrawler worms.
The first-place team will be invited to represent Western as the World's Challenge Challenge Global Final competition hosted by Western in June.
Travel and immigration Supports
Students arriving to Canada from abroad for spring and summer terms should continue to check for updated criteria and other steps to take before travelling on the International Arrival website.
The site contains information about quarantine, navigating federal and provincial vaccine requirements, important considerations for planning when to arrive, and what travellers need to know before they travel.
Achieving Equity and Global EDIDI Competence in the Canadian Health Sector Workforce
Western and the University of Manitoba are collaborating in a new program to enhance equity, diversity, inclusion, decolonization and Indigeneity (EDIDI) training in the health care professions.
The program will support 102 students from medicine, dentistry, nursing and other health professions to gain certification in EDIDI, and complete 2- to 3-month experiential learning placements in Africa, with the goal of preparing health care professionals to work with and understand diverse populations. In addition to financial support, accommodation arrangements will be provided as needed and/or appropriate, including on-the-ground support by faculty/staff teams and/or companions, during placements in Africa.
Applications are due April 30.
Exploring COIL Virtual Exchange Through Canadian Case Studies
Registration is open for a knowledge-sharing session taking place May 16 from 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm EDT and showcasing Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) projects from four Canadian institutions, including a presentation by Eunjung Riauka, Director of International Learning at Western, and Aleksandra Zecevic, Associate Professor, Faculty of Health Sciences and Aging Globally program lead.
Other presenters will include faculty members and internationalization officers who have conducted COIL projects in the last few years and who will share project highlights, best practices, and tips for implementation.
Faculty members, internationalization officers, and senior administrators are welcome to join this session.
Celebrating our Western International Student Volunteers
Every year, Western International and the International and Exchange Student Centre (IESC) recruit hundreds of volunteers who assist with the coordination, planning and implementation of various activities and programs. In celebration of National Volunteer Week and to thank this year's volunteers, we've highlighted some of these amazing supporters on our website.
Did you know?
There are still some opportunities for Western students to participate in an exchange program in 2023. If you know of a student who might be interested in an exchange, please encourage them to contact our International Learning team at goabroad@uwo.ca for more information.
If you have ideas, suggestions or opportunities with an international focus to share, please let us know at wicomms@uwo.ca.
