Green Path / en Shanghai, Toronto and other urban regions vital to prosperity, ³Ō¹Ļ±¬ĮĻ President Meric Gertler tells Chinese audience /news/shanghai-toronto-and-other-urban-regions-vital-prosperity-gertler <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Shanghai, Toronto and other urban regions vital to prosperity, ³Ō¹Ļ±¬ĮĻ President Meric Gertler tells Chinese audience</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/greenpath_1140.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=XRUfSYk9 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/greenpath_1140.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=o7w0RGn1 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/greenpath_1140.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=mQ3HV8b0 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/greenpath_1140.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=XRUfSYk9" alt="President Meric Gertler with high school students"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>lavende4</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2016-11-03T08:56:56-04:00" title="Thursday, November 3, 2016 - 08:56" class="datetime">Thu, 11/03/2016 - 08:56</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">³Ō¹Ļ±¬ĮĻ President Meric Gertler with applicants for the ³Ō¹Ļ±¬ĮĻ Scarborough Green Path program from Shanghai No.3 Girlsā€™ High School (photo by Vinitha Gengatharan)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/terry-lavender" hreflang="en">Terry Lavender</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/andrew-zhao" hreflang="en">Andrew Zhao</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-legacy field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Author legacy</div> <div class="field__item">Terry Lavender and Andrew Zhao</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/global-lens" hreflang="en">Global Lens</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/president-meric-gertler" hreflang="en">President Meric Gertler</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/china" hreflang="en">China</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/cities" hreflang="en">Cities</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/toronto" hreflang="en">Toronto</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/green-path" hreflang="en">Green Path</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/u-t-scarborough" hreflang="en">³Ō¹Ļ±¬ĮĻ Scarborough</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/international" hreflang="en">International</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/global" hreflang="en">Global</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/ted-sargent" hreflang="en">Ted Sargent</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/glen-jones" hreflang="en">Glen Jones</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Urban centres such as Shanghai and Toronto are vital contributors to local and national prosperity, University of Toronto President <strong>Meric Gertler</strong> told a forum on innovation, creativity and urban regions in the populous Chinese city earlier this week.</p> <p>In his latest&nbsp;trip to China, President Gertler has spoken at conferences&nbsp;in Shanghai and Beijing, visited&nbsp;alumni and&nbsp;prospective students, talked with&nbsp;Canadian embassy officials and met with Chinese university colleagues.</p> <p>At the Shanghai forum, he was a keynote speaker.</p> <p>Urban regions, he told the audience, ā€œare recognized as sources of creativity and innovation, drivers of economic growth and resiliency.ā€</p> <p>With a population of 24 million, Shanghai&nbsp;ā€œexemplifies this better than perhaps anywhere on the globe," Gertler said.</p> <p>Universities such as the University of Toronto and Shanghai Jiao Tong play an important role in this process, he said, noting that they ā€œexcel at producing, attracting and retaining talent.ā€</p> <p>The relationship is symbiotic, he explained. Urban regions foster the development of world-class research institutions and universities, while universities foster world-class cities.</p> <p>It is important, he said, for cities like Shanghai and Toronto to invest in the infrastructure that will attract talented people and institutions.</p> <p>ā€œExtraordinary things can happen when sustained and wise investment over many years builds infrastructure, brings together extraordinary talent&nbsp;and fosters connections among different fields, industries and leading global regions.ā€</p> <p>After attending the conference, President Gertler visited Shanghai No.3 Girlsā€™ High School, one of ³Ō¹Ļ±¬ĮĻā€™s Green Path affiliate schools.</p> <p>Under the Green Path program, ³Ō¹Ļ±¬ĮĻ Scarborough has established a partnership with 21 of the top high schools in China. Green Path is a 12-week summer preparatory program that invites top high school students from China to build their academic skills while adapting to life in Canada. Once students successfully complete the program, they go directly into first-year undergraduate studies at ³Ō¹Ļ±¬ĮĻ.</p> <h3><a href="/news/green-path-10-years-helping-students-china-adjust-university">Learn more about Green Path</a></h3> <p><strong>Ted Sargent</strong>,&nbsp;³Ō¹Ļ±¬ĮĻ's vice-president international,&nbsp;accompanied President Gertler for part of the trip,&nbsp;reflecting the importance that ³Ō¹Ļ±¬ĮĻ places on the region.</p> <p>Ontario Institute for Studies in Education Dean&nbsp;<strong>Glen Jones</strong>&nbsp;was also in China this past week. Jones was part of an international panel, conducting a review of Sun Yat-sen University (also known as Zhongshan University) for Chinaā€™s Ministry of Education. He also met with education partners at&nbsp;Zhejiang Normal University in&nbsp;Hangzhou, visited with alumni and spoke at a forum on world-class universities.</p> <p>During his visit, President Gertler also took time out to photobomb a Shanghai wedding, go sightseeing and enjoy some of the local cuisine.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-version="7" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:658px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"> <div style="padding:8px;"> <p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BMLce4VA12o/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">Photobombing a wedding outside the President's office at Shanghai Jiao Tong University (President Zhang to the left of the bride) #UofT #uoftalumni</a></p> <p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A photo posted by Meric Gertler (@uoftpres) on <time datetime="2016-10-30T07:33:30+00:00" style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;">Oct 30, 2016 at 12:33am PDT</time></p> </div> </blockquote> <script async defer src="//platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js"></script> <p>&nbsp;</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-version="7" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:658px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"> <div style="padding:8px;"> <div style=" background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:50.0% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;"> <div style=" background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAABGdBTUEAALGPC/xhBQAAAAFzUkdCAK7OHOkAAAAMUExURczMzPf399fX1+bm5mzY9AMAAADiSURBVDjLvZXbEsMgCES5/P8/t9FuRVCRmU73JWlzosgSIIZURCjo/ad+EQJJB4Hv8BFt+IDpQoCx1wjOSBFhh2XssxEIYn3ulI/6MNReE07UIWJEv8UEOWDS88LY97kqyTliJKKtuYBbruAyVh5wOHiXmpi5we58Ek028czwyuQdLKPG1Bkb4NnM+VeAnfHqn1k4+GPT6uGQcvu2h2OVuIf/gWUFyy8OWEpdyZSa3aVCqpVoVvzZZ2VTnn2wU8qzVjDDetO90GSy9mVLqtgYSy231MxrY6I2gGqjrTY0L8fxCxfCBbhWrsYYAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;">&nbsp;</div> </div> <p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BMQRc6ug1gx/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">Shanghai skyline by night #UofT #uoftalumni</a></p> <p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A photo posted by Meric Gertler (@uoftpres) on <time datetime="2016-11-01T04:33:19+00:00" style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;">Oct 31, 2016 at 9:33pm PDT</time></p> </div> </blockquote> <script async defer src="//platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js"></script> <p>&nbsp;</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-version="7" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:658px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"> <div style="padding:8px;"> <div style=" background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:50.0% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;"> <div style=" background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAABGdBTUEAALGPC/xhBQAAAAFzUkdCAK7OHOkAAAAMUExURczMzPf399fX1+bm5mzY9AMAAADiSURBVDjLvZXbEsMgCES5/P8/t9FuRVCRmU73JWlzosgSIIZURCjo/ad+EQJJB4Hv8BFt+IDpQoCx1wjOSBFhh2XssxEIYn3ulI/6MNReE07UIWJEv8UEOWDS88LY97kqyTliJKKtuYBbruAyVh5wOHiXmpi5we58Ek028czwyuQdLKPG1Bkb4NnM+VeAnfHqn1k4+GPT6uGQcvu2h2OVuIf/gWUFyy8OWEpdyZSa3aVCqpVoVvzZZ2VTnn2wU8qzVjDDetO90GSy9mVLqtgYSy231MxrY6I2gGqjrTY0L8fxCxfCBbhWrsYYAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;">&nbsp;</div> </div> <p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BMNvk9KAPvr/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">Shanghai lunch- steamed pork buns at Nan Xiang! #UofT #uoftalumni</a></p> <p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A photo posted by Meric Gertler (@uoftpres) on <time datetime="2016-10-31T04:58:50+00:00" style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;">Oct 30, 2016 at 9:58pm PDT</time></p> </div> </blockquote> <script async defer src="//platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js"></script> <p>&nbsp;</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-version="7" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:658px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"> <div style="padding:8px;"> <div style=" background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:46.4666021297% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;"> <div style=" background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAABGdBTUEAALGPC/xhBQAAAAFzUkdCAK7OHOkAAAAMUExURczMzPf399fX1+bm5mzY9AMAAADiSURBVDjLvZXbEsMgCES5/P8/t9FuRVCRmU73JWlzosgSIIZURCjo/ad+EQJJB4Hv8BFt+IDpQoCx1wjOSBFhh2XssxEIYn3ulI/6MNReE07UIWJEv8UEOWDS88LY97kqyTliJKKtuYBbruAyVh5wOHiXmpi5we58Ek028czwyuQdLKPG1Bkb4NnM+VeAnfHqn1k4+GPT6uGQcvu2h2OVuIf/gWUFyy8OWEpdyZSa3aVCqpVoVvzZZ2VTnn2wU8qzVjDDetO90GSy9mVLqtgYSy231MxrY6I2gGqjrTY0L8fxCxfCBbhWrsYYAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;">&nbsp;</div> </div> <p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BMKymIbg-rV/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">With His Worship Yang Xiong, Mayor of Shanghai (R) and Prof Jiang Sixian (L), Chairman, SJTU #UofT #uoftalumni</a></p> <p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A photo posted by Meric Gertler (@uoftpres) on <time datetime="2016-10-30T01:27:30+00:00" style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;">Oct 29, 2016 at 6:27pm PDT</time></p> </div> </blockquote> <script async defer src="//platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js"></script> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;PhD student<strong> Asif Farooq</strong>,&nbsp;the founding managing editor of ³Ō¹Ļ±¬ĮĻ's China Open Research Network,&nbsp;had some sightseeing suggestions for President Gertler in Beijing.&nbsp;</p> <p>ā€œGiven that&nbsp;the President has a background in&nbsp;geography, I think he would like to visit Beijing's hutongs [narrow alleys which are home to many old, traditional courtyard residences]. Hutongs have been restored as tourist attractions,ā€&nbsp;Farooq told <em>³Ō¹Ļ±¬ĮĻ</em> writer <strong>Andrew Zhao</strong>.</p> <p>ā€œWalking through&nbsp;the alleys can give him a glimpse of the&nbsp;old Beijing, and&nbsp;discovering restaurants tucked inside those alley corners could be&nbsp;a fun experience. He could find some of the pubs inside hutongs&nbsp;fascinating given most have a courtyard with ancient rooftops. Figuring out the past dynastiesā€™ influence on those rooftop architectures could be a pleasant endeavour for any curious mind.ā€</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Thu, 03 Nov 2016 12:56:56 +0000 lavende4 101786 at ³Ō¹Ļ±¬ĮĻ student volunteers with Chinaā€™s ā€œleft behindā€ children /news/u-t-student-volunteers-china-left-behind-children <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">³Ō¹Ļ±¬ĮĻ student volunteers with Chinaā€™s ā€œleft behindā€ children</span> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>sgupta</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2015-09-29T02:34:11-04:00" title="Tuesday, September 29, 2015 - 02:34" class="datetime">Tue, 09/29/2015 - 02:34</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">ā€œMaybe it will help ease their pain,ā€ says Gu Xiaoyan. ā€œEvery little bit counts.ā€</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/don-campbell" hreflang="en">Don Campbell</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-legacy field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Author legacy</div> <div class="field__item">Don Campbell</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/our-community" hreflang="en">Our Community</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/features" hreflang="en">Features</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/undergrad" hreflang="en">Undergrad</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/students" hreflang="en">Students</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/international" hreflang="en">International</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/green-path" hreflang="en">Green Path</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/community" hreflang="en">Community</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/china" hreflang="en">China</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/utsc" hreflang="en">UTSC</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/global" hreflang="en">Global</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-subheadline field--type-string-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Subheadline</div> <div class="field__item">Kids love the music, but more instruments are needed</div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p><strong>Gu Xiaoyan</strong> is using his love of music to help ease some of the pain felt by Chinaā€™s ā€œleft behindā€ children.</p> <p>ā€œMusic has brought me a lot of happiness in life,ā€ says the second-year computer science student, who spent the summer in China teaching music to children with limited physical, educational and financial means.&nbsp;</p> <p>ā€œI hope I can pass on a bit of that happiness to children who are in need.ā€</p> <p>Gu&nbsp;was inspired to help after seeing a UNICEF video about the issue. ā€œIt broke my heart to see these children suffering,ā€ he says.</p> <p>While estimates vary, the United Nations estimates more than 61 million children have been ā€œleft behindā€ across the country. Most have little or no contact with their parents and have been traumatized as a result. Many suffer from depression and a host of other mental health challenges.</p> <p>It was such an emotional experience for Gu ā€“ who came to ³Ō¹Ļ±¬ĮĻ as part of the <a href="http://news.utoronto.ca/green-path-10-years-helping-students-china-adjust-university">Green Path Program</a> ā€“ that he decided he needed to do something about it. So he set about raising funds by teaching music lessons and selling his music. He was able to buy 30 ukuleles that he brought with him to teach children in Chongqing, China.</p> <p>His passion for music runs deep. In addition to the guitar, ukulele, djembe (African drum), ocarina (vessel flute) and harmonica, Gu can also play traditional Chinese instruments including two types of bamboo and vessel flutes.</p> <p>He was never much into video games as kid, so whenever he was feeling lonely he would pick up an instrument and play. It became a form of therapy. Gu, whose given name Xiaoyan means "smile," hopes to bring a smile to the faces of the children heā€™s working with.</p> <p>ā€œI think itā€™s in our nature to enjoy music, but there are important therapeutic benefits to it as well,ā€ he says. ā€œSometimes the joy of learning music is taken out of it by repetitive or strict lessons. I try to make it fun, as a way to help these children take their minds off what theyā€™re going through.ā€</p> <p>Unfortunately, when Gu got to Chongqing he soon found out he didnā€™t have enough ukuleles. Each day he witnessed children outside the classroom windows staring in at the lessons inside.</p> <p>ā€œIf I can raise more money and bring back volunteers who can help teach these children different instruments, maybe they can learn different types of music that appeals to them,ā€ Gu says.</p> <p>ā€œMaybe it will help ease their pain. Every little bit counts.ā€</p> <p><img alt="photo of children with ukeleles" src="/sites/default/files/2015-09-29-children-ukeleles.jpg" style="width: 625px; height: 469px; margin: 10px 25px;"></p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-picpath field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">picpath</div> <div class="field__item">sites/default/files/2015-09-29-gu-musician.jpg</div> </div> Tue, 29 Sep 2015 06:34:11 +0000 sgupta 7302 at Canada needs to re-think how it engages with China, says former ambassador /news/canada-needs-re-think-how-it-engages-china-says-former-ambassador <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Canada needs to re-think how it engages with China, says former ambassador </span> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>sgupta</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2014-10-10T09:44:12-04:00" title="Friday, October 10, 2014 - 09:44" class="datetime">Fri, 10/10/2014 - 09:44</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">David Mulroney (left) and (right) Bruce Kidd, interim principal and vice-president UTSC (photo by Ken Jones)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/don-campbell" hreflang="en">Don Campbell</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-legacy field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Author legacy</div> <div class="field__item">Don Campbell</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/global-lens" hreflang="en">Global Lens</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/green-path" hreflang="en">Green Path</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/munk-school-global-affairs-public-policy" hreflang="en">Munk School of Global Affairs &amp; Public Policy</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/international" hreflang="en">International</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/china" hreflang="en">China</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/utsc" hreflang="en">UTSC</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/global" hreflang="en">Global</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/top-stories" hreflang="en">Top Stories</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Canadaā€™s former ambassador to China stressed the importance of better engaging with the emerging superpower in the first of several public lectures at the University of Toronto Scarborough&nbsp;that will examine the deepening relationship between the two countries. &nbsp;</p> <p><strong>David Mulroney</strong>, who served as ambassador to China from 2009 to 2012 and is now a distinguished senior fellow at ³Ō¹Ļ±¬ĮĻā€™s Munk School of Global Affairs, says Canadaā€™s future prosperity and security will depend heavily on engaging a country that remains in many respects an enigma.&nbsp;</p> <p>"Trying to engage an increasingly influential China is not entirely new but our policy has traditionally involved merely looking at trying to maximize the upside and minimize the downside, which can only take us so far,ā€ he says. ā€œWe need to better understand China because we can no longer afford to look at Chinaā€™s rise through the lens of a series of random, disconnected events.ā€ &nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>The lecture, titled Getting to China Competence, was the first in a series that will focus on deepening the understanding between China and Canada. The series is part of an agreement signed between UTSC and the Bank of China Canada (BOCC) that will include increased co-op placements for UTSC students with Chinese companies.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>Canadians shouldnā€™t underestimate Chinaā€™s importance, says Mulroney. China is currently Canadaā€™s second largest trading partner behind the United States and is larger than Canadaā€™s combined trade with France, the United Kingdom, Germany and Japan. China is also taking on a greater role in global issues.&nbsp;</p> <p>ā€œClearly we need to attach a higher priority to paying closer attention and to really attempt to understand China better.ā€</p> <p>Mulroney suggested that a ā€œstreet-levelā€ approach would help in developing an understanding at a people-to-people level. He outlines education, immigration, investment in foreign real estate and tourism as notable aspects of this emerging relationship. He points to UTSCā€™s Green Path program as one positive outcome of this approach.&nbsp;</p> <p>Most noticeable of all is that Chinese citizens are travelling abroad in unprecedented numbers ā€“ many of whom place Canada high on their list of tourism destinations ā€“ because of ever increasing levels of disposable income.&nbsp;</p> <p>ā€œThese are ordinary citizens whose attitudes are being less and less influenced by the state. We need to think of the values these Chinese citizens find most important and we should engage with those values,ā€ says Mulroney.</p> <p><em>Don Campbell is a writer at the University of Toronto Scarborough.&nbsp;</em></p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-picpath field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">picpath</div> <div class="field__item">sites/default/files/2014-10-10-david-mulroney-kidd-backstage.jpg</div> </div> Fri, 10 Oct 2014 13:44:12 +0000 sgupta 6562 at Green Path: 10 years of helping students from China adjust to university /news/green-path-10-years-helping-students-china-adjust-university <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Green Path: 10 years of helping students from China adjust to university</span> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>sgupta</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2014-08-18T07:02:50-04:00" title="Monday, August 18, 2014 - 07:02" class="datetime">Mon, 08/18/2014 - 07:02</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">Graduating students from the 2014 Green Path class (all photos by Ken Jones)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/don-campbell" hreflang="en">Don Campbell</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-legacy field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Author legacy</div> <div class="field__item">Don Campbell</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/more-news" hreflang="en">More News</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/students" hreflang="en">Students</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/international" hreflang="en">International</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/green-path" hreflang="en">Green Path</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/education" hreflang="en">Education</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/china" hreflang="en">China</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/utsc" hreflang="en">UTSC</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-subheadline field--type-string-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Subheadline</div> <div class="field__item">Program celebrates more than 1,400 graduates over past decade</div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>When <strong>Kobe Sun</strong> and <strong>Camellia Tian</strong> reflect on their time in the <a href="http://www.utsc.utoronto.ca/greenpath/">Green Path program</a>, the memories go beyond building academic skills or adjusting to life in a new country.</p> <p>It was during a Green Path class trip to Wonderland in 2010 that the couple met and began dating. They are now happily married.&nbsp;</p> <p>ā€œItā€™s such a great program because it made the transition to a new country so much easier,ā€ says Sun, who graduated from the University of Toronto Scarborough with a degree in computer science and now works at Amazon Canada.&nbsp; ā€œBut the trip we took to Wonderland will always stick out as something special,ā€ he says with a smile.</p> <p>This year marks the 10th anniversary of<a href="http://news.utoronto.ca/growth-green-path-program-u-t-reflected-academic-diversity-students"> UTSCā€™s Green Path program</a>, a 12-week summer preparatory program that invites top high school students from China to build their academic skills while adapting to life in Canada. Once students successfully complete the program, they go directly into first-year undergraduate studies at ³Ō¹Ļ±¬ĮĻ.</p> <p>To celebrate the anniversary, delegates from the Consulate-General of the Peopleā€™s Republic of China, Bank of China Canada and ³Ō¹Ļ±¬ĮĻā€™s School of Continuing Studies attended this year's graduation. The ceremony included live musical and dance performances; scholarships were also awarded to 14 students.</p> <p><img alt src="/sites/default/files/2014-08-18-green-path-bruce-kidd.jpg" style="width: 350px; height: 233px; margin: 10px; float: right;">ā€œGreen Path is a reflection of the increasingly connected and diversified world we live in,ā€ said UTSC Interim Principal&nbsp;<strong>Bruce Kidd </strong>(pictured at right with Consul General Fang Li).&nbsp;ā€œEach student brings with them a valued perspective that serves to strengthen and enrich our understanding of our complex world. I encourage you to learn from each other as you become responsible, mature and socially-conscious adults.ā€</p> <p>When the program began 10 years ago, most of the students were enrolled in business administration, computer science or math programs. Today, the newest group represents a wide range of academic disciplines including 120 students who are enrolled in various science programs, 92 in business administration (including management co-op) and 42 who are enrolled in the arts, humanities and social sciences.</p> <p>More than 1,400 students have completed the program since its inception in 2005. Many of the students go on to achieve a high level of academic success at ³Ō¹Ļ±¬ĮĻ, with all of the students earning at least a 3.00 GPA or higher. (<a href="http://news.utoronto.ca/convocation-2013-chinese-students-take-green-path-success">Read more about some of Green Path's groundbreaking graduates</a>.)</p> <p>For 16-year-old <strong>Linwen Huang</strong> the memories made over the past few months are just the beginning. Her academic journey begins in earnest in just a few weeks, when she starts her undergraduate studies in business management.</p> <p>ā€œGreen Path is like a family and itā€™s made me feel very comfortable about coming to a new city and a new country for the first time,ā€ she says. ā€œItā€™s been an awesome experience and I canā€™t wait to start the semester.ā€&nbsp;</p> <p><em>Don Campbell is a writer with the University of Toronto Scarborough.</em></p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-picpath field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">picpath</div> <div class="field__item">sites/default/files/2014-08-18-green-path-grad.jpg</div> </div> Mon, 18 Aug 2014 11:02:50 +0000 sgupta 6430 at Convocation 2014: from Green Path to PhD program /news/convocation-2014-green-path-phd-program <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Convocation 2014: from Green Path to PhD program</span> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>sgupta</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2014-06-11T06:14:04-04:00" title="Wednesday, June 11, 2014 - 06:14" class="datetime">Wed, 06/11/2014 - 06:14</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">UTSC's Serena Song hopes to become a professor (photo by Ken Jones)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/chris-garbutt" hreflang="en">Chris Garbutt</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-legacy field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Author legacy</div> <div class="field__item">Chris Garbutt</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/green-path" hreflang="en">Green Path</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/students" hreflang="en">Students</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/convocation" hreflang="en">Convocation</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/utsc" hreflang="en">UTSC</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/features" hreflang="en">Features</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-subheadline field--type-string-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Subheadline</div> <div class="field__item">Co-op student jumps from undergrad to doctoral studies</div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>When <strong>Serena Song</strong> was a high school student in Jinan, China, the last thing on her mind was a career in academia.</p> <p>ā€œI wanted to start a business and make money,ā€ she says with a laugh.</p> <p>But today, Song, a fourth-year Management student, is headed to the University of Rochesterā€™s Simon Business School to get her PhD in Accounting. And her goal now is to be a professor.</p> <p>Song came to the University of Toronto Scarborough through the<a href="http://news.utoronto.ca/growth-green-path-program-u-t-reflected-academic-diversity-students"> Green Path program</a>.&nbsp;The 12-week program helps students from China adjust to life and study in Canada. The students experience a Canadian-style classroom environment, which includes the expectation of active participation. They also work on academic skills such as English reading, writing and grammar, and get help as they adapt to life in Canada. Once students successfully complete the program, they go directly into first-year undergraduate studies at ³Ō¹Ļ±¬ĮĻ.</p> <p>After completing the Green Path program, Soong was admitted to the Management Co-op program in Finance. During her time as an undergraduate, she did well in all her courses, but was most excited by her work as a teaching assistant and as a research assistant.</p> <p>As a teaching assistant in B- and C-level economics and finance courses, she found she enjoyed seeing students develop.</p> <p>ā€œI liked connecting with the students,ā€ she says. ā€œItā€™s so fulfilling to help them solve their problems.ā€</p> <p>That passion for problem solving extended to her research work at UTSC. She participated in two projects, both supervised by Professor <strong>Ling Cen</strong>. The first was an examination of the different information roles of sell-side and buy-side financial analysts in earnings conference calls. The other investigated how adding historical information about a company to sites like Wikipedia can affect the companyā€™s stock price.</p> <p>ā€œI loved seeing how dedicated our team members were,ā€ Song says.</p> <p>At the Simon School, Song will be researching the diffusion of corporate governance mechanisms along the supply chain. Sheā€™ll examine why and how different companies in the supply chain develop similar forms of governance.</p> <p>ā€œItā€™s very rare for an undergraduate to go straight into a PhD,ā€ says Cen. ā€œShe has worked really hard and is a great example for other students.ā€</p> <p>This wasnā€™t the only offer she had, but Song cites the Simon Schoolā€™s prestige, long history and its proximity to Toronto as the reasons for her choice.</p> <p>ā€œIā€™m nervous, but I think my past experience shows Iā€™m a quick learner,ā€ she says.</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-picpath field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">picpath</div> <div class="field__item">sites/default/files/2014-06-11-convocation-soong.jpg</div> </div> Wed, 11 Jun 2014 10:14:04 +0000 sgupta 6261 at Growth of Green Path program at ³Ō¹Ļ±¬ĮĻ reflected in academic diversity of students /news/growth-green-path-program-u-t-reflected-academic-diversity-students <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Growth of Green Path program at ³Ō¹Ļ±¬ĮĻ reflected in academic diversity of students</span> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>sgupta</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2014-06-04T09:09:47-04:00" title="Wednesday, June 4, 2014 - 09:09" class="datetime">Wed, 06/04/2014 - 09:09</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">Green Path is a 12-week program at UTSC that helps students from China adjust to life and study in Canada (photo by Ken Jones)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/don-campbell" hreflang="en">Don Campbell</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-legacy field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Author legacy</div> <div class="field__item">Don Campbell</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/more-news" hreflang="en">More News</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/students" hreflang="en">Students</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/international" hreflang="en">International</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/green-path" hreflang="en">Green Path</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/utsc" hreflang="en">UTSC</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>As UTSCā€™s Green Path program continues to grow, its success is being reflected in the diversity of academic disciplines represented by its students.</p> <p>ā€œItā€™s remarkable and truly speaks to the maturity of the program,ā€ says <strong>Rick Halpern</strong>, UTSC dean and vice-principal. ā€œWhen the program began we couldnā€™t even dream it would become this successful.ā€</p> <p>Green Path is a 12-week program that helps students from China adjust to life and study in Canada. The students experience a Canadian-style classroom environment, which includes the expectation of active participation. They also work on academic skills such as English reading, writing and grammar, and get help as they adapt to life in Canada. Once students successfully complete the program, they go directly into first-year undergraduate studies at ³Ō¹Ļ±¬ĮĻ.</p> <p>When it began ten years ago, most of the students were enrolled in business administration, computer science or math programs. Today, the newest group represents a wide range of academic disciplines including 120 enrolled in various science programs, 95 in business administration including management co-op and 42 enrolled in the arts, humanities and social sciences.</p> <p>Halpern was on hand to help welcome 259 new students ā€“ the largest cohort since its inception in 2005 ā€“ during the opening session held on May 26.</p> <p>ā€œWhat started out as a student recruitment program with a narrow focus has blossomed into something much greater,ā€ says Halpern. He points to UTSCā€™s joint environmental protection and climate change research with Northwest University located in Xi'an city, Shaanxi Province, strengthening of the Mandarin language program on campus and the addition of new courses focused on Chinese politics, history and culture as proof of its enduring legacy.</p> <p>In addressing the new cohort Halpern praised the foundation of academic success laid by Green Path graduates over the past ten years.</p> <p>ā€œMany of the graduates have gone on to do great things including graduate school, professional school and success in the workforce,ā€ he told the students. ā€œItā€™s a privilege to be able to follow in their footsteps and we will be here to help you every step of the way.ā€</p> <p><a href="http://news.utoronto.ca/convocation-2013-chinese-students-take-green-path-success">Read more about Green Path students</a>.<br> &nbsp;</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-picpath field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">picpath</div> <div class="field__item">sites/default/files/2014-06-02-green-path.jpg</div> </div> Wed, 04 Jun 2014 13:09:47 +0000 sgupta 6218 at President Gertler reflects on visit to China /news/president-gertler-reflects-visit-china <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">President Gertler reflects on visit to China</span> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>sgupta</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2013-12-19T04:13:20-05:00" title="Thursday, December 19, 2013 - 04:13" class="datetime">Thu, 12/19/2013 - 04:13</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">President Meric Gertler and Vice-President, University Relations Judith Wolfson chat with Rotman School of Management alumni during their visit to China (photo by Jacky Zhang)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/brianna-goldberg" hreflang="en">Brianna Goldberg</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-legacy field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Author legacy</div> <div class="field__item">Brianna Goldberg</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/breaking-research" hreflang="en">Breaking Research</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/green-path" hreflang="en">Green Path</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/president" hreflang="en">President</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/international" hreflang="en">International</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/collaborations" hreflang="en">Collaborations</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/china" hreflang="en">China</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/research" hreflang="en">Research</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/global" hreflang="en">Global</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/top-stories" hreflang="en">Top Stories</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-subheadline field--type-string-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Subheadline</div> <div class="field__item">Discusses importance of international partnerships</div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p><em>Only a few days into taking on his new role at ³Ō¹Ļ±¬ĮĻ, President <strong>Meric Gertler</strong> stepped on a plane bound for China, where he was welcomed by alumni, government officials and leaders from prestigious Chinese universities.</em></p> <p><em>The University of Toronto enjoys a long history with students and scholars in China. Today, nearly 6,000 students come to the university from the Asia-Pacific and faculty collaborate on research between the two regions. The president described his views on the importance of international partnerships such as these in his <a href="http://www.president.utoronto.ca/installation-address">installation address</a>.</em></p> <p><em>Now that heā€™s returned from his visit to Beijing and Hong Kong,&nbsp;Gertler shares his reflections on what ³Ō¹Ļ±¬ĮĻā€™s current and future collaborations with institutions in China could mean for the university, the city, the province, the country ā€“ and beyond.</em></p> <p><strong>What do you want people to know about ³Ō¹Ļ±¬ĮĻā€™s relationship with China?</strong><br> <br> We have established partnerships with great universities there like Peking University, Tsinghua, University of Hong Kong, University of Fudan and others, and some exciting things are already going on.</p> <p>One example is a joint course between ³Ō¹Ļ±¬ĮĻ and Fudan in International Relations. <strong>Joe Wong</strong> from the Asian Institute has been one of the driving forces in that project where students from both universities come together in the same class that is jointly taught by faculty from both universities.&nbsp;Thatā€™s just an amazing learning opportunity for everybody.</p> <p>Another example is our partnership with Peking University that creates a number of research exchange programs for our applied science and engineering students.</p> <p>There is a great foundation on which to build, but also terrific opportunities to enlarge those relationships and deepen them still further.</p> <p><strong>Were there any opportunities coming out of this visit that really excited you?</strong><br> Thereā€™s a lot of discussion about urbanization challenges in China, as well as environmental challenges, and they are looking for assistance drawing on best practices from around the world. They recognize expertise that we have in both of those areas and there were preliminary discussions of possible partnerships between institutions where we could focus on key research themes.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>How do these plans for future collaborations fit in with your vision for ³Ō¹Ļ±¬ĮĻ?</strong><br> The interesting part of this for me is watching how universities in places like Beijing engage with the city around them, and help address the most pressing issues often rooted in cities, although the dimensions extend right across the entire country.</p> <p>For example, in China right now the big issue is how to manage the large numbers of people migrating to cities from rural and small-town parts of the country, to recognize them properly and give them the full rights of urban citizenship. They are also trying to deal with the pressing need for housing, the growing demands on transportation systems and how to manage this in an environmentally sustainable way.</p> <p>Watching our partner universities and the role that they are playing in this process is instructive for us.<br> I talked in my installation address about deepening global partnerships for exactly this reason ā€“ not just to celebrate the expertise of fellow scholars in great universities around the world but also to learn about their interactions with communities around them. Then we can take some of those lessons back to Toronto and apply them here, and in doing so, help us think through how we engage with our own local communities at each of our three campuses.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <div><strong>What did people you visited with want to discuss in relation to ³Ō¹Ļ±¬ĮĻ?</strong></div> <div>We talked a lot about cities but also about how we educate undergraduates. There appears to be growing interest in China ā€“ at the level of individual universities and at the national level ā€“ in how one creates more broadly-based undergraduate education, and how one fosters critical thinking and creativity in the student body.</div> <p>There was great interest in what weā€™ve been doing at ³Ō¹Ļ±¬ĮĻ in terms of enhancing the breadth of undergraduate programs, promoting multiple majors in different fields and giving new life to liberal arts education. That was terrific to see.</p> <p><strong>You paid a visit to the Beijing Experimental School, whose students apply to UTSCā€™s Green Path program. Any reflections on your time there?</strong><br> This is a school that draws top students from across China. I met a grade 11 class, gave a presentation on ³Ō¹Ļ±¬ĮĻ, and took some questions. They were quite assertive, not afraid to ask tough questions ā€“ and they were extremely well-informed. They knew a lot about us, and knew what they were looking for in a good university and education. They asked questions like, ā€œDo your best professors teach undergraduates?ā€ And I was delighted to be able to say, ā€œYes!ā€ These are smart kids and Iā€™m so pleased to know they are interested in us and that apparently they are applying to ³Ō¹Ļ±¬ĮĻ this year in record numbers.</p> <p><strong><img alt src="/sites/default/files/gertler-wolfson-china-duck-13-12-19.jpg" style="margin: 10px; width: 300px; float: right; height: 388px">What were your experiences like meeting up with ³Ō¹Ļ±¬ĮĻ alumni in Beijing and Hong Kong?</strong><br> We had two fantastic alumni gatherings, one in Beijing, one in Hong Kong, record attendance at both of them. It was wonderful to meet the alumni, many of whom are major leaders in the local business community and cultural world, all with really deep loyalty to ³Ō¹Ļ±¬ĮĻ.</p> <p>We also held our ³Ō¹Ļ±¬ĮĻ Asia-Pacific graduation ceremony, which attracted nearly 800 people. I was struck by the huge outpouring of goodwill and warmth amongst those who attended this great event.</p> <p><strong>I heard you queued in line for 90 minutes for hot pot in Beijing ā€“ which was a restaurant suggestion for you posted on ³Ō¹Ļ±¬ĮĻā€™s Facebook page. Was it worth the wait?</strong><br> It was worth it! The food was fantastic, the experience was great. It was clearly a place inhabited by locals. I love those kinds of authentic cultural experiences ā€“ and Iā€™m a bit of a foodie, so having an opportunity to indulge was terrific. We had a lot of fun trying to get to as many of the suggestions from the ³Ō¹Ļ±¬ĮĻ Facebook page as possible, but unfortunately I was too busy to get to all of them.&nbsp;</p> <p><em>Brianna Goldberg is a writer with University Relations at the University of Toronto.</em></p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-picpath field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">picpath</div> <div class="field__item">sites/default/files/china-gertler-wolfson-13-12-19.jpg</div> </div> Thu, 19 Dec 2013 09:13:20 +0000 sgupta 5792 at New scholarship opportunities for Green Path students /news/new-scholarship-opportunities-green-path-students <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">New scholarship opportunities for Green Path students</span> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>sgupta</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2013-08-16T09:50:28-04:00" title="Friday, August 16, 2013 - 09:50" class="datetime">Fri, 08/16/2013 - 09:50</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">Green Path valedictorian Jiaru Li (photo by Ken Jones)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/don-campbell" hreflang="en">Don Campbell</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-legacy field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Author legacy</div> <div class="field__item">Don Campbell</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/green-path" hreflang="en">Green Path</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/students" hreflang="en">Students</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/utsc" hreflang="en">UTSC</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/features" hreflang="en">Features</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>The 225 students who graduated August 15 from Green Path at the University of Toronto Scarborough&nbsp;are part of the largest cohort since the program began&nbsp;nine years ago.</p> <p>"Green Path created an atmosphere for us to get used to life in Canada," says <strong>Jiaru Li</strong>, valedictorian. "We got opportunities to do basic things like buying a coffee, ordering food and communicating with people on a daily basis that seem easy but are so important."</p> <p>The 12-week summer preparatory program invites top high school students from China to build academic skills while allowing them to adapt to life in Canada.</p> <p>"I learned in Canada that there's a big emphasis on developing your own ideas in class and less of an emphasis of memorization of facts alone," said <strong>Yueyang Liu</strong>. "It was a very interesting experience."</p> <p><strong>Lida Tan</strong> agreed: "Getting familiar with the classroom environment is so important, especially academic formats like APA. But getting used to the TTC and even communicating with people in daily situations has been a big help."</p> <p>Designed to prepare students for undergraduate studies at the University of Toronto, the unique program has also attracted significant new scholarships and co-op opportunities for its participants.</p> <p>ā€œGreen Path has matured from the time we started with only 15 students to the point where we are recruiting top students from all over China,ā€ said <strong>Jack Martin</strong>, director of business development and international programs at UTSC.</p> <p><img alt src="/sites/default/files/greenpath-dragon-13-08-16.jpg" style="margin: 10px; width: 400px; float: right; height: 267px">Ten new scholarships were awarded to students at the recent graduation ceremony (pictured right).</p> <p>The scholarships, made possible by a $450,000 commitment over three years by E Fund Education Foundation in Guangzhou, China, are the first to be given by the&nbsp;foundation to students studying outside China. This scholarship is available in addition to two Jiangsu scholarships made available by the Nanjing New City Group in China.</p> <p>The programā€™s success has played an important role in deepening the relationship between UTSC and the Peopleā€™s Republic of China, leading to co-op opportunities for Green Path students with companies all over China including the Bank of China, State Grid and Nanjing New City Group.</p> <p>ā€œUTSC has worked to establish meaningful relationships with government, business and education leaders in China to ensure our Green Path students get off to a great start in Canada,ā€ said UTSC Principal <strong>Franco Vaccarino</strong>.&nbsp; ā€œI am personally delighted to see the programā€™s continued growth.ā€</p> <p>Many of the students go on to achieve a high level of academic success at ³Ō¹Ļ±¬ĮĻ, with more than 50 per cent earning a 3.20 GPA or higher. (<a href="http://ose.utsc.utoronto.ca/ose/story.php?id=4933&amp;sectid=1">Read more about Green Path</a>).</p> <p>"We've just started on a new journey, on a new beginning and we can all go forward knowing we are prepared to succeed," said Jiaru Li. "I am a different person from the time I started the program. We are all better for having done it."</p> <p><em>Don Campbell is a writer with the University of Toronto Scarborough.</em></p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-picpath field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">picpath</div> <div class="field__item">sites/default/files/greenpath-valedictorian-13-08-16.jpg</div> </div> Fri, 16 Aug 2013 13:50:28 +0000 sgupta 5546 at Convocation 2013: Chinese students take Green Path to success /news/convocation-2013-chinese-students-take-green-path-success <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Convocation 2013: Chinese students take Green Path to success</span> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>sgupta</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2013-06-12T04:18:43-04:00" title="Wednesday, June 12, 2013 - 04:18" class="datetime">Wed, 06/12/2013 - 04:18</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item"> Dai He, Xin Qi and Mengtian Bao (photo by Ken Jones)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/gilbert-ndikubwayezua" hreflang="en">Gilbert Ndikubwayezua</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-legacy field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Author legacy</div> <div class="field__item">Gilbert Ndikubwayezu</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/green-path" hreflang="en">Green Path</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/students" hreflang="en">Students</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/convocation" hreflang="en">Convocation</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/utsc" hreflang="en">UTSC</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/top-stories" hreflang="en">Top Stories</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Four years ago they came to Canada from China and enrolled at University of Toronto Scarborough&nbsp;through the Green Path program.&nbsp;</p> <p>Today,&nbsp;<strong>Mengtian Bao</strong>,&nbsp;<strong>Xin Qi</strong> and <strong>Dai He</strong> graduate from ³Ō¹Ļ±¬ĮĻ, successful members of the class of 2013.&nbsp;</p> <p>ā€œMy target has always been to become a financial engineer,ā€ says Mengtian, who graduates with a degree in mathematics and heads to Columbia University this July to pursue a&nbsp;master's degree&nbsp;in financial engineering.</p> <p>Since 2005,&nbsp;top students from schools in the Peopleā€™s Republic of China have enrolled in the ground-breaking Green Path program at UTSC.&nbsp;Students receive 12 weeks of English language instruction and spend their summer&nbsp;immersed in local culture, becoming&nbsp; familiar with life in Canada. Green Path students live in residence at UTSC, enrolling&nbsp;in undergraduate studies after successfully completing the summer program.</p> <p>"Green Path is a wonderful program that gives Chinese students a unique opportunity to embark on educational and career paths of their choice here at ³Ō¹Ļ±¬ĮĻ," said Professor <strong>Rick Halpern</strong>, UTSC dean and vice-principal. We are always very excited to offer such a great prospect for these talented students to explore and, ultimately, master their chosen fields. We are very proud of this partnership."</p> <p>Green Path translates from&nbsp;Mandarin as "the way to success" and, for Green Path alumni Mengtian, Xin and Dai, success has&nbsp;come both academically and through community involvement, partly due to having set their career goals early on.</p> <p>Mengtian worked as&nbsp;a teaching assistant in different courses and had two co-op placements during her undergraduate studies. Dai also did some teaching assistantships and co-op placement with a human resources&nbsp;consulting firm as part of her undergraduate studies.</p> <p>In October,&nbsp;Dai will start a master's degree in accounting and finances at the London School of Economics in the UK. She attributes her success to her own desire to always achieve more, and to parentsā€™ expectations.</p> <p>ā€œThey spend a lot on me, so I have to work hard,ā€ she says.</p> <p>As for Xin, who was a teaching assistant in courses such as Microeconomics, Statistics and Finances and had a co-op placement as a data analyst with the Ontario Teachers Pension Plan, she wants to have some work experience before continuing her studies. Come September, she starts working full-time at Deloitte as a consultant for enterprise risk services practice.</p> <p>She was actively involved with Green Path association during her undergraduate studies,&nbsp;served as its vice-president of finance.</p> <p>More than 1,100 students have graduated from the Green Path program since it began at UTSC, with many of the graduates going on to achieve high levels of academic success at the university. (<a href="http://news.utoronto.ca/utsc-welcomes-its-largest-group-green-path-students">Read more about Green Path</a>.)</p> <p><em>Gilbert Ndikubwayezu is a writer with the University of Toronto Scarborough.</em></p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-picpath field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">picpath</div> <div class="field__item">sites/default/files/green-path-revised-13-06-12.jpg</div> </div> Wed, 12 Jun 2013 08:18:43 +0000 sgupta 5433 at UTSC welcomes its largest group of Green Path students /news/utsc-welcomes-its-largest-group-green-path-students <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">UTSC welcomes its largest group of Green Path students</span> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>sgupta</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2013-05-29T08:18:25-04:00" title="Wednesday, May 29, 2013 - 08:18" class="datetime">Wed, 05/29/2013 - 08:18</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">Students in the Green Path program this year hail from 76 high schools in 36 different cities and towns in the People's Republic of China (photo by Don Campbell)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/don-campbell" hreflang="en">Don Campbell</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-legacy field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Author legacy</div> <div class="field__item">Don Campbell</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/global-lens" hreflang="en">Global Lens</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/green-path" hreflang="en">Green Path</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/students" hreflang="en">Students</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/student-life" hreflang="en">Student Life</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/international" hreflang="en">International</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/utsc" hreflang="en">UTSC</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/local" hreflang="en">Local</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/global" hreflang="en">Global</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/more-news" hreflang="en">More News</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>The University of Toronto Scarborough is welcoming a record number of top students from the Peopleā€™s Republic of China to Green Path, a program that prepares them for post-secondary studies in Canada.</p> <p>Green Path is a unique 12-week academic and English as a Second Language&nbsp;program that readies&nbsp;students for undergraduate studies at the University of Toronto.</p> <p>In addressing the fresh cohort Professor<strong> Rick Halpern</strong>, UTSC dean and vice-principal, emphasized the exciting challenges and opportunities that lay ahead of them.</p> <p>ā€œYou are about to start a unique journey of four years where you will have the opportunity to make your dreams come true,ā€ said Halpern. ā€œThis is your education, so take full advantage of your opportunity to master fields of knowledge and scholarship under our world class faculty.ā€</p> <p>Those recruited for the Green Path program are top students from various high schools in mainland China. This year 225 students from 23 different provinces will participate, making it the largest number of entrants in the program since its inception in 2005.</p> <p>ā€œThe program is very unique because it is designed to help us to transform from high school graduates in China to freshman university students ready for life in Canada,ā€ said <strong>Ivy Shen</strong>, current UTSC student and president of the Green Path Association.</p> <p>Shen enrolled in the program in 2012 and notes her fellow students take the program very seriously because of the opportunity it affords them to acquire language skills and information&nbsp;about Canadian culture.</p> <p>ā€œItā€™s also a very important program to us in the sense that it provides us with an opportunity to go to ³Ō¹Ļ±¬ĮĻ for our post-secondary education, which is very hard for any high school graduate in China.ā€</p> <p>The summer foundation program is a core component of Green Path, which translates from Chinese as ā€˜the way to success,ā€™ is taught in partnership with faculty members from the University of Torontoā€™s School of Continuing Studiesā€™ English Language program.</p> <p>The students live in UTSC residence over the summer while participating in a range of social activities and field trips to popular tourist sites in Toronto and the GTA. They also receive life-skill training including cooking and food safety, as well as information on personal safety, health services and transit.</p> <p>Students also get to experience the different classroom etiquette and teaching styles in Canada, including instructions on how to use the library system, access academic support, and avoid plagiarism. In addition to working on academic skills such as reading, writing, grammar, and listening to and speaking English, they also get help as they adapt to life in Canada. Once students successfully complete the program they go directly into first-year undergraduate studies at ³Ō¹Ļ±¬ĮĻ.</p> <p>More than 1,100 students have graduated from the program since its inception with many of the graduates going on to achieve high levels of academic success at ³Ō¹Ļ±¬ĮĻ.</p> <p>ā€œYou are part of a select group that has been chosen to further your education at one of the top schools in North America,ā€ said Halpern in closing. ā€œFor every ounce of effort you put into your studies we will match it with support and a top rate educational experience.ā€</p> <p>Green Path program by the numbers:</p> <ul> <li>1,189 Green Path students since 2005</li> <li>613 Green Path students currently enrolled at ³Ō¹Ļ±¬ĮĻ</li> <li>225 students enrolled in 2013 program</li> <li>Students represent 23 different Provinces/Municipalities or Autonomous Regions</li> <li>Students represent 36 different cities or towns, from 76 distinct high schools</li> <li>50% - percentage of Green Path students with a 3.20 GPA or higher</li> </ul> <p><em>Don Campbell is a writer with the University of Toronto Scarborough.</em></p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-picpath field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">picpath</div> <div class="field__item">sites/default/files/green-path-13-05-29.jpg</div> </div> Wed, 29 May 2013 12:18:25 +0000 sgupta 5377 at