IDW Day 3

A team of MSF Canada staff and volunteers mounted two tents today in the hallways of Seneca College in Toronto to offer students and staff some insights in the "journey" of refugees. One tent explains a variety of aspects in refugee camps while the second tent simulates the journey in a small boat to Europe. They were here from 10 Am till 4 PM and had a steady stream of visitors. Some of the professors would bring entire classes and worked the visit into assignments. That is the ultimate goal of organizing these international development weeks. Thank you MSF team!

The MSF tour guide here is a nurse who has done several missions with MSF and who volunteers some of his time in between mission to raise awareness of the work of MSF and the realities for many of these refugees. The most important message is to demystify the "image" of refugees: they are human beings like all of us and they would prefer to stay in their home countries but are so desperate that they take huge risks during their "journey" as a refugee. They are also - once in their new home country - by en large very productive and positive new citizens.

IDW Day 2

An excellent event today with young social entrepreneurs with a global vision during day 2 of our annual International Development Week (IDW 2018). In the evening a "Conversation Cafe" with speakers from MSF (Medecins sans Frontieres / Doctors without Borders) and the Stephen Lewis Foundation (better photos to follow in a later post). Proud and happy about this day and week...

International Development Week

Yesterday we opened the annual IDW (International Development Week) at Seneca with a keynote presentation of the Executive Director of MSF Canada. So very proud to bring him here. Still feel like I left this organization for whom I worked full-time from 1988 to 1995, just yesterday. We had a nicely filled room of interested staff and students.

Seneca President David Agnew introduced our guest speaker and made some remarks about his own brief years of working as CEO of UNICEF Canada.

Afterwards we had elder Blu from the local First Nations share some wise words with us. Two of the students from Seneca's Independent Songwriting diploma program performed a touching song.

As always, these events only happen with good team work!

Old birds still fly

One of my Seneca colleagues - on a student recruitment trip in Kazakhstan - send me this photo of an F28 Fokker aircraft still in service. As long as they keep them well maintained with ideally an engine retrofit, these birds can fly forever. Sweet memories of my work in the Sales & Marketing team of Fokker Aircraft in my early career (1983-1988).

Directors retreat

The past few days we had a short two day retreat with the six Directors of the Seneca International team in Niagara-on-the-Lake. Six work sessions of two hours each looking ahead on the challenges and opportunities formulating strategies, risk mitigation options and brave ideas...

And a few nice lunches and dinners together. One of them at Niagara College Culinary Training Center's restaurant "Benchmark". A few good days together. On we go...

International Development Week

At Seneca we are starting to promote college-wide extra-curricular activities during the Feb 5-9 annual International Development Week. Themes this year: global migration and environment. Posters went up around the college today to start creating "food for thought" and awareness. One of organizations going to display at campus is MSF with their "day in the life of a refugee"....

The team of Seneca International is busy with so many activities already so early in the year. One of our offices is every day full with students interested to start studies at Seneca. We have 4-5 staff at our reception area and they can hardly handle the enthusiastic inquiries. On we go....

2018 start at Seneca

Many new international students arriving. Today a group of about 200 in nursing specialization programs who will be studying at the Markham campus. They received an orientation about the services we offer them around student visa extensions, work permit applications, health insurance paperwork and the adjustments to the education culture in Canada.

At this campus we also offer the Tourism/In-flight services diploma program. In this simulation classroom students were tested today on their acquired skills on customer service. Others were nervously waiting their turn for this hands-on test.