Time flies.....

Our three Brazilian visiting professors have been with us already for almost three months; time flies. Two more weeks in Niagara and then a debriefing in Ottawa.

Day of Reflection

Niagara College celebrated today its 7th or 8th so-called "Day of Reflection". It is a day where all staff are invited to reflect on a theme considered important for the college community. In past years we had themes such as "diversity", "internationalization" and "key performance indicators". This year the theme was based on the college's "Organizational Climate Survey". An outside agency conducts a college wide staff survey about the satisfaction with work circumstances every 3 years. This year in February was the 4th "Climate Survey" and the results were - in broad terms - presented today. At the photo above the external surveyor who gave a very interesting presentation which started the day.

Afterwards we broke out in small groups discussing aspects of the survey, and because I actively participated in some of the groups, I forgot to make a few photos....

The last hour of the event we were invited to actively participate in a "drum session". Below is the facilitator explaining things and getting us all enthusiastic.

The college staff members getting into the drumming....
Including College President dan Patterson!

It was a great way to end the reflection session of today. A few hundred people on drums is just always spectacular....even  if the vast majority of us were just doing it for the very first time.

Afterwards back in the Welland Campus in our new international center I noticed the use of a drawing of the daugther of one of our colleagues in British Columbia. You can find the original drawing in one of my posts of early 2013 when Jeff send me the photo because he had talked at home about our "Be World Ready" campaign. I will have to send this to Jeff and his daugther.....

Brazilians visiting McMaster University

Today we visited McMaster University's School of Medicine to learn more about the PBL methodology (problem based learning); its three year graduate program of medicine is fully based on this methodology. An interesting morning for sure.

During lunch the opportunity to catch up with our son Mark who is sweating it for final exams....

Brazilians visiting Durham College

Friday I drove with the visiting Brazilians to Oshawa, just north of Toronto, where we visited Durham College. Larissa Strong who started her career years ago as International Student Advisor in the team of Niagara College, and then moved to York  University for a while, recently joined the international team at Durham. They also host two Brazilian teachesr, so it was a nice opportunity to share their observations and experiences.

Next ot its industrial (among other car production) and agricultural programs, Durham recently embarked on expanding their greenhouse and food production/culinary programs. After a meeting at their Oshawa campus, we visited the new culinary building in Whitby.

Larissa with Luciano and some of the other Brazilians.

We were hosted for a delicious lunch. Thanks Fiona and Larissa!

Brazilians visiting Brock University

Today I introduced our visiting Brazilian professors to Brock  University where we were shown their new "BioLinc" center: a hub for students and recent graduates with entrepreneurial aspirations and activities especially in the bio-medical sector.

In creative working spaces called the "B-hives" students work, meet and brainstorm. Other parts of the center have small bio-medical laboratories and can be rented for modest charges. Afterwards some of the fledling entrepreneurs "graduate"  to another business incubator in the city of St. Catharines.

The brandnew Cairns complex is a wonderful mix of lecture halls, laboratories and initiatives such as the BioLinc center. A great addition to the growing Brock institution as well as to the Niagara region.

Thanks Sheila, Jade and John for hosting us. Because of the interesting conversations before the tour and during lunch I forgot to make photos of those moments...... Ate logo!

HRM students and a project in Brazil

This morning I was invited to presentations given by students from the post-graduate certificate program Human Resources Management of Niagara College Canada together with our visiting colleagues from colleges in Brazil. The presentations were snapshots of training modules designed by the student teams for educators and social researchers in Brazil as part of what is called "course based research". Dr. Holly Catalfamo led this process with the students. Two years ago I took Holly at whirlwind tour around 4 cities in Brazil to show her some results of the "Mulheres Mil" program, a project started as bi-lateral cooperation between Brazil and Canada to increase "access programs" for non-traditional learners at colleges in Brazil (especially for women with low levels of formal basic and secondary education). Holly led a project - funded by the International Development Research Centre in Ottawa - to assist Brazilian colleagues in the design of social research tools to follow up what the longer term impact is for women in Brazil who benefitted from the "Mulheres Mil" program.

After the introductions, the student groups gave good presentations and we all learned more about how training and social research can and should go hand in hand.

At the end of the morning I added some advice to these soon-to-be HR professionals.....

Proud parents

Hilary (22) today received her last mark for her BSc degree in Nursing for her last internship at the emergency department of a hospital in Sarnia, Ontario, Canada (an excellent mark). It is a fantastic achievement for her and Mary and I are very proud parents. Way to go, Hils!