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.

Fun in Australia

Hilary and Mark had two weeks of a great time in the beautiful Great Barrier Reef area and in Byron Beach where Hilary has lived and worked the past six months. Mark will be back in the cold winter of Canada in a few days time. Hilary will meet up with a friend in Bali for a few weeks and then will decide afterwards what her next steps and destination will be. Living the life!

Seneca and MSF Canada

Once a year the "Globe & Mail" - one of the main newspapers in Canada - puts out a special edition on "top employers". This year Seneca is again listed in it, as well as MSF Canada, the organization I helped to get off the ground during the 1990-1992 period. Nice to see....

Bro & Sis down under

Mark made it safely to Brisbane in Australia reunited for a few weeks with his sister Hilary. One of Mark's friends also traveled to Australia to join the fun.

Travel SR and travel JR

I flew back yesterday on a big bird from Jakarta via Hong Kong to Toronto (SR) and today I put our son Mark (JR) on a plane via Shanghai to Brisbane. Mark will spend two weeks with his sister Hilary down under in Australia......