From Niagara to Seneca in September

On September 22 I will start a new professional challenge as Dean International at Seneca College in Toronto. After 19 years at Niagara College it was time for a change and a wonderful opportunity was presented. Long story short: last week I was offered this position after an extensive selection process and I am very excited. From a very small international operation at Niagara College in 1995 I helped to build an impressive team now located in brannd-new offices servicing about 2,000 international  students at NC from about 60 countries. I walked this morning early through the offices and made a few photos for memory sake. Above the office where I have been the past few months...

This is the front office at the Welland campus where about 2/3 of the international students are serviced. The view from a bit further away:

The hallway to the right seperates some of the offices and if you walk to the end:

The NC campaign of "Be World Ready"  is advertised together with study & work  abroad options. These outbound activities are coordinated by one of the team members.

The hallway features a creative world map and some info screens on social activities:

NC services about 350 ESL (English as a Second Language) students at any given time. During the summer months a variety of additional part-time and contract ESL teacher assist us in an open space office area next to where the desks of the full-time permanent ESL teachers are located...

There is a corridor with student services staff right next to the front desk...

The area - used since May 2013 - has been designed as accesible and inviting for the international students as possible. We  came a long way with the Niagara International team.....

Now I am getting prepared to see how I  can lead some diversification and expansion at Seneca College, an institution about three times the size of NC with some 4,000 international students.

Stay tuned for those stories as of late September.....

World Cup 2014 completed

Today we watched the final game of the World Cup 2014 at the big screen in one of the auditoriums at Niagara College. A beautiful  scenery in one of  the most famous soccer stadiums of the world.....

W had some German supporters, some Argentinians and several Colombians who hope to see their team in that game in the future. I think the strongest team of this year won the trophy.

For me the most special player of this tournament was Klose. Not many players manage to be selected for four consecutive tournaments. What a great athlete!

Thank you Brazil for hosting such a wonderful event............ Russia in 2018........

No lack of fans in orange...

The dream of (ever) winning the World Cup for the Dutch people has to wait another 4 years (at least) because today the "men in orange" did not get past the team from Argentina. I wish both teams would have played more offensively, but of course there is a lot at stake.

It was not  for lack of  support in  Canada. This is John Clark, owner of the popular MT Bellies bar & restaurant where it was full of orange fans the past few weeks. Today he went  "all the way" with his outfit... Thanks John. We had fun and you have been a great host!

Good luck to the teams of Argentina and Germany on Sunday!

Busy day of sport events

A busy day of sports. The Dutch teams played the surprisingly strong performing team from Costa Rica today in the World Cup quarter finals. It was a crazy game with the Dutch players hitting the woodwork of the Costa Rica goalie several times and having the golaie himself stand on his head again with some beautiful saves. His team took the Dutch all the way to penalty shots but then it was his Dutch colleague goalie stealing the show. Holland will now play Argentina in the semi finals....

In restaurant MT Bellies in Welland (Ontario, Canada) there was again a lot of orange represented today. Many Dutch immigrants have settled all over Canada, but when it comes to soccer/football they get their orange jerseys out of the house....... and more....

Sorry for Costa Rica, but it was Holland's day today.... Messi & colleagues, here we come!

Before going to watch the soccer game, I cycled a while and hoped to watch a bit of the National Dragon Boat championships this year hosted in Welland. Unfortunately I was there during the break period between races, so I was only able to make a few shots of the flat water complex where also recently they hosted the World Championships canoeing and kayaking. In 2015 this complex will be used for the same sports during the Pan-American Games hosted in Toronto....