A Community-based Approach to International Student Wellbeing

Audience: Public event – please feel free to invite your colleagues and networks to attend this webinar. Registration required.

Description: As international students seek their education at a host academic institution, they become important constituents of the fabric of the host community. While academics and practitioners have highlighted the role of multiple stakeholders in supporting international students throughout their pre, during and post-graduation journey, they have also cautioned of the fragmented and siloed approach which has resulted in many students falling between the cracks. Both academic research and local community experiences signal that individual, institutional and systemic issues exist which negatively impact the international learner experience. Acknowledging those challenges, a grassroots initiative was launched earlier this year to establish a more intentional, collaborative, and proactive approach to international students’ wellbeing in the City of Brampton, Ontario- Canada- a community that is home to a large number of international students in Ontario and Canada as a whole. Community members, including members of the federal, provincial and municipal governments, international students, academic researchers, postsecondary administrators, private and public colleges and community agency leaders, convened over the two-day ‘Improving the International Student Experience Summit’ in July to work collectively towards building a brighter tomorrow for international students through providing seamless support to enhance their experience across all stages of the student journey — as prospective students, current students, temporary workers, and, for some, even as future residents or citizens.

Following up on the summit and based on what we heard from the diverse stakeholders, this webinar is part of the community collaboration and consultation process feedback. We will present a draft of the Leading Globally, Acting Locally: The Brampton Community Charter on the Safety, Well-Being and Inclusion of International Students — a roadmap for making Brampton a best-practice leader in supporting international students. During this webinar, we will share highlights of the Charter draft (its principles, actions, and accountability measures), seek community feedback, and discuss next steps.

Register now for a Community-based Approach to International Student Wellbeing

Date: Wednesday, November 9, 2022
Time: 12 - 1:30 p.m. EST
Location: Online

Speakers

Moderator: Amira El Masri - Director, Center for Global Education and Internationalization, Sheridan College

Amira El Masri is the Director of the Center for Global Education and Internationalization at Sheridan. Dr. El Masri has extensive experience nationally and internationally in the field of the internationalization of the postsecondary education sector as an administrator, researcher, and instructor. She is an active researcher focusing on internationalization policies in Canada and comparatively, international student experiences, and internationalizing teacher education.

Speaker: Rajan Sandhu - Vice President Strategic Alignment and General Counsel, Sheridan College

Rajan Sandhu, BCom, LLB, CIC.C serves as Vice President, Strategic Alignment and General Counsel at Sheridan College, and is a key member of the Office of the President team. His portfolio areas include Institutional Strategic Initiatives, Strategic Advice to the President, Governance, Legal Services, Privacy and Access to Information, Records Management, and Policies and Procedures. Rajan previously also held the roles of Legal Counsel, General Counsel, General Counsel & Corporate Secretary, and Special Advisor to the President. He earned his B.Com (Hons) in Finance and Economics from the University of Toronto, Rotman School of Management, and his LLB from City, University of London. He also holds the Certified In-House Counsel (CIC.C) designation through the Rotman School of Management and the Canadian Corporate Counsel Association. He has participated in several intensive leadership development programs. Rajan is active in his community and serves on the Board of various community organizations and engages in pro bono legal work. He is a keen traveler and has visited over 35 countries on 6 continents.

Speaker: Roopa Desai Trilokekar - International Student Summit Facilitator and Associate Professor of Education, York University

Roopa Desai Trilokekar is Associate Professor (Post-Secondary Education) in the Faculty of Education, York University. She comes to an academic career after 20 years of experience as a professional in the field of international education in Canada, India and the US. Her 2020 co-edited book International Education as Public Policy in Canada, along with Tamtik, M (Manitoba) and Jones, G. A (Toronto) was awarded the Catalyst Award by the Canadian Bureau of International Education for bringing cutting‐edge knowledge to the field of international education and made it to The Hill Times’ List of 100 Best Books in 2020.

Her most recent research looks at a discourse analysis of the ‘International Students as ideal immigrants’ global policy discourse across Australia, Germany and Canada, funded by The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC). She has also recently completed a project with IRCC titled, What distinguishes the international student experience in the Canadian labour market? A comparison of Two Provinces. Her current work is also focused on international education as a soft power/public diplomacy tool in context of shifting/new geopolitics. She was awarded a Fulbright Canada Research Chair in Public Diplomacy at the University of Southern California (2020-2021 academic year) for her project titled, International Education as Soft Power: Its relevance in a world of changing U.S.-Canada relations and new geopolitics.