Two new research collaborations led by the Humanitarian Water Engineering (HWE) Lab at 快播视频鈥檚 Dahdaleh Institute for Global Health Research aim to improve health outcomes in crisis-affected communities in Uganda through local partnerships and innovative water-focused interventions.
Syed Imran Ali, Director of the HWE Lab and Fellow at the Dahdaleh Institute, and his team recently travelled to Uganda to launch two new research partnerships aimed at improving public health in communities affected by humanitarian crises.

The first initiative took Ali and his team to Gulu University, where they met with faculty from Gulu's School of Medicine, Faculty of Agriculture and the Environment, and Institute of Peace and Strategic Studies. Together, they defined and formalized a new collaborative research program, marked by the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the two institutions.

Located in a region recovering from prolonged civil conflict and home to a large refugee population fleeing unrest in neighbouring countries, Gulu University will work with the HWE Lab on projects addressing communicable disease control, maternal and child health, nutrition, and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) in emergency contexts.

Supported by York International鈥檚 Global Research Excellence Seed Fund, the first joint projects will focus on water and health in refugee settlements in northern Uganda. Over time, the partnership aims to expand into additional priority areas in humanitarian health and bring in new partner institutions from neighbouring countries, contributing to a broader vision for a humanitarian health research network across the African Great Lakes Region.

Ali and his team also visited the Kyaka II refugee settlement in western Uganda to initiate a second research collaboration with the Nsamizi Training Institute of Social Development. A key implementing partner for the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), Nsamizi is responsible for delivering WASH services at the settlement.

Supported by a Connected Minds Seed Grant from the Canada First Research Excellence Fund, this project will use machine learning to develop predictive tools linking water quality to health outcomes. The goal is to address a long-standing challenge in the humanitarian WASH sector: enabling timely health risk forecasting without relying on costly, large-scale disease surveillance studies.

Over the coming year, the HWE Lab will work with Nsamizi to strengthen water system monitoring, provide technical training, and support the development of proposals for future water and sanitation programs at Kyaka II and other refugee settlements in Uganda.

Together, these two partnerships mark a significant step forward in the HWE Lab鈥檚 mission to deliver practical, innovative solutions to urgent global health challenges through close collaboration with local institutions.

With files from Syed Imran Ali

Originally published in YFile.

The post 快播视频 researchers launch new health partnerships in Uganda appeared first on Global Engagement.

Congolese politician-turned-businessman Eugene Serufuli had a vision that all of his children would attend university abroad, living together and looking out for each other as they earned a degree that would set them up for life.

Dating back to 2018, eight of his nine children have travelled the 10,000 kilometres to Canada from the Democratic Republic of Congo to attend 快播视频. Three of the Serufuli siblings are graduating this spring from . Two sisters have already graduated, and three more siblings are part-way through their degrees. 

鈥淢y dad always wanted all of us together in one place, one university, one house 鈥� just to live together, help each other out and watch out for each other,鈥� says Jean-Luc Serufuli, 25, who graduated on June 12 along with his brother Salomon, 24, and sister Diane, 30. All three have earned a degree in political science.

After the first Serufuli sibling attended another Ontario university, it became a family tradition to attend York. It began with two of the eldest sisters, Isabelle and Florine, who enrolled at the Keele Campus in the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies. Florine earned an economics degree in 2018 and Isabelle convocated from information technology in 2024.

The next set of siblings, including Diane and her twin sister Nadia, all chose York鈥檚 Glendon College. Fluent in Swahili and French, they were attracted to studying in French while also developing fluency in English. They gravitated toward the business economics and political sciences courses that they felt could set them up for careers back home or in Canada. They liked the intimate environment of Glendon鈥檚 smaller campus and its picturesque location close to Toronto鈥檚 vibrant downtown.

Only the maverick Jean-Luc thought about bucking the tradition and setting his own course somewhere else.

鈥淚 wanted my own lonely life, I guess,鈥� Jean-Luc says with a chuckle. 鈥淢y dad was like, 鈥楴o!鈥� Then my appendix ruptured and my dad was staying with me in hospital and he said, 鈥榊ou see? What if something like this happened and you were on your own? You can see why you should be with your brothers and sisters.鈥� And I could.鈥�

Currently, seven of the Serufuli children are sharing a home off campus. They don鈥檛 know a way of life without each other in reach, and say that coming to Canada and attending the same university has strengthened their bond.

鈥淕rowing up, you think that every single person in the world has eight siblings 鈥� you think it鈥檚 normal,鈥� says Salomon. 鈥淚t鈥檚 so fun going home. You have eight different stories at the end of the day and maybe more with the parents around.鈥�

Salomon and Jean-Luc say their father couldn鈥檛 have helped them make a better decision.

鈥淭he supports, the programs 鈥� Glendon has all the tools you need to succeed in whatever you want to go into,鈥� says Jean-Luc. 鈥淚t was one of the best choices that I made, to be honest.鈥�

They are thinking through their next steps, what field they want to go into and which end of the world they want to start their careers.

One option is to join their parents in the family businesses that deal in real estate, agriculture and oil and are run from their home in Kinshasa, Congo鈥檚 capital.

But, one thing is certain; if they decide to return home, they will continue to live as one big family, at least in the short term.

鈥淎s always, my dad doesn't like us to be separated,鈥� says Jean-Luc. 鈥淭he tradition is that we all live together until we get married. If you don鈥檛 get married, you鈥檙e not moving out. So, we鈥檙e going to stick together until we find someone.鈥�

Watch a video below:

The post 快播视频 a family tradition for eight Congolese siblings appeared first on Global Engagement.

快播视频 will offer funding from the highly competitive Canadian Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Scholarships (QES) program to students and researchers from York, as well as partner universities in Costa Rica, Ghana and the Philippines to tackle issues at the intersection of climate change and human population displacement.

The highly competitive QES program was established in 2012 and is managed through a partnership between Universities Canada, the Rideau Hall Foundation and Canadian post-secondary institutions. To date, more than 2,600 scholars from Canada and around the world have received the award.

York鈥檚 project, titled the , will direct scholarships valued at up to $10,000 to send 12 York students overseas and welcome 10 international scholars to York over the next three years.

Professor Ali Asgary, director of CIFAL and executive director of the Advanced Disaster, Emergency and Rapid Response Simulation Lab, is academic lead for the QES project and says he is hopeful the program will inspire students to continue working in a field that needs fresh ideas and dedication.

鈥淵ork students will have the opportunity to visit places where they can make connections with what they are studying firsthand and get to know the challenges and complexities of these situations. They will be able to network with policymakers and researchers in other countries, and because the focus is interdisciplinary, they will get to know researchers in both climate change and population displacement.鈥�

Additionally, scholars visiting York will provide invaluable insights to the University community on how they address these challenges in their countries, which can help inform how Canadians tackle climate change at home.

With these goals in mind, Asgary and York鈥檚 former assistant vice-president Global Engagement and Partnerships Vinitha Gengatharan, whose team is supporting the QES project, sought expert partners to bring the diverse expertise and perspectives required for this multi-continental project. At York, the new project brings together faculty leaders from York Emergency Mitigation, Engagement, Response and Governance Institute (Y-MERGE), York鈥檚 Las Nubes campus in Costa Rica, the Centre for Refugee Studies, the  and the Dahdaleh Institute for Global Health Research.

International partners were chosen from countries specifically impacted by climate change and displacement, and include the University of Costa Rica, University of Ghana, the University of Cape Coast (Ghana), the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration and the University of the Philippines.

United Nations Institute for Training and Research鈥檚 (UNITAR), CIFAL, the Global Water Academy and Learning for a Sustainable Future, a Toronto-based NGO, are also among the external collaborators.

Amir Asif, vice-president, research and innovation, says the new scholarly exchange reflects York鈥檚 continued focus on advancing partnerships for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). York鈥檚 global partners on this project carry out compelling climate and human displacement-related  research which complements the University鈥檚 strengths and Canada鈥檚 climate diplomacy initiatives.

鈥淲e hope that through the QES, we will provide youth from Canada and around the world with unique opportunities to gain new perspectives from beyond their labs,鈥� he says, adding that addressing climate justice is essential to reduce growing social inequities. 鈥淔uture generations will need to have more empathy and stronger cross-cultural understanding. This is important to make difficult compromises and design effective climate policies that garner global consensus. It鈥檚 easy to talk about inequities without understanding what inequity looks like, in a different cultural and geographical context.鈥�

In this project, York students attending the University of Cape Coast will have the opportunity to learn from the legacy of the transatlantic slavery at Cape Coast Castle, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and witness how the industrialized West continues to have an impact on the lives of coastal communities in Africa by contributing to rising sea levels.

Asgary notes the project will help move the global goals forward. 鈥淭his is hugely important for our future. Climate change has introduced a lot of forced or semi-forced displacement and may worsen in years to come," he says.

With files from Suzanne Bowness

Originally published on YFile.

The post 快播视频 to train next generation of climate ambassadors appeared first on Global Engagement.

Symposium on Shell鈥檚 legacy in Niger Delta and what comes next brings diverse group of scholars and activists to 快播视频鈥檚 Keele Campus

April 9, 2025, TORONTO 鈥� With the Shell company having finalized the sale of assets in Nigeria鈥檚 Niger Delta, questions remain for those who fought against decades of human rights and environmental abuses in the region: How do you keep Shell accountable for the damage they鈥檝e done? Will divestment be more than a clever PR ploy for big oil and gas?

These questions bring together a diverse group of scholars, community leaders, activists, legal experts and international advocates to 快播视频 April 10 and 11, for the two-day symposium: From the Niger Delta, Nigeria to the World - Charting a Global Just Transition Agenda.

The legacy of oil pollution and human rights abuses in the Niger Delta are one of the worst, with Shell even being accused of being complicit in the Nigerian state鈥檚 secret sentencing and killing of activists in the 1990s, says Environment and Urban Change Prof. , one of the organizers of the event. 

鈥淎rguably, attention to injustice in the region spurred corporate social responsibility as an industrial movement and was central to creating the environmental justice movement globally. This symposium is an opportunity to take a hard look at this legacy of corporate abuse, resistance, and what comes next,鈥� says Zalik. 

From the earliest days of colonization in Nigeria, the British identified Niger Delta as economically useful for resource extraction, and, for the last 60 years, Shell has been involved in oil and gas extraction in the region. 

Informed by a report put together by the Bayelsa State Oil and Environmental Commission, which declares Shell鈥檚 legacy in the region as an environmental genocide, the symposium examines the prospects for a global just transition. 

鈥淲hen the word divestment is used 鈥� Shell for example dumping toxic assets on so-called local companies and shirking their historic responsibility to clean up鈥� what does it really mean? There are questions regarding the limitations of the whole idea of just transition,鈥� says York PhD alum Isaac Asume Osuoka, a former Vanier scholar and one of the authors of the Bayelsa Report who will chair the discussion on the report at the symposium.

鈥淭his听York conference is an opportunity to address those gaps in terms of how this conversation has been framed in dominant discourses.鈥澨�

The symposium will be held this Thursday and Friday at 快播视频 at 519  at 快播视频鈥檚 Keele Campus, with global environmental justice activist, author, architect, think-tank director and York Honorary Doctorate Nnimmo Bassey giving the keynote speech on Thursday at 3 p.m.  can attend virtually for those unable to make it in person. 

Originally published in News@York.

The post When big oil pulls out appeared first on Global Engagement.

Five upper-year 快播视频 nursing students will travel to Kumasi, Ghana in March for a three-week clinical placement 鈥� a unique opportunity to broaden their understanding and experience in global health.

The undergraduate students will take part in clinical outreach and community health programs focusing on chronic diseases and maternal health at Mansa Memorial Hospital, a small private facility in Kumasi. 

Well-equipped to serve a large catchment area, the hospital includes an acute care unit, a maternity ward, as well as adult and inpatient units. Along with its strong community outreach and public health work, Mansa Memorial offers students the opportunity to rotate through wards and do clinical outreach. 

Faith Root, a registered nurse who holds a master鈥檚 degree in public health, is a PhD student and an assistant professor in York鈥檚 School of Nursing in the Faculty of Health. Root, along with Professor Mavoy Bertram, an associate professor and pediatric nurse practitioner, will accompany the students. 

鈥淭hey're very involved with trying to meet people where they are in the community. So, on Sundays, we'll go to church to do diabetes outreach. We鈥檒l go to the markets,鈥� says Root. 鈥淪tudents will get to see a little bit of everything and be able to engage with education from an individual and population perspective.鈥� 

Health-care workers are seeing a trend of rising chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in the world鈥檚 low- and middle-income countries, Root says. Chronic diseases are gradually outpacing infectious causes of death such as tuberculosis, malaria and HIV as countries develop. 

The nursing students will care for patients diagnosed with both infectious and chronic illness. 

Also, the demographics of patients that come into care is similar to what is observed in  North America;  it鈥檚 mainly women and children who access health care. The Ghanaians 鈥渢old us the men just don't come in for care until they're really ill,鈥� Root says. 

Historically, the leading cause of death from pregnancy and childbirth in Ghana was postpartum hemorrhages. However, hypertension in pregnancy is on the rise, so caring for pregnant patients with high blood pressure conditions will be a big focus for the students, Root says.  

Although there are similarities in patient demographics and illnesses in the Ghana hospital, the practicum is meant to immerse students in global health scholarship. Claire Mallette, a registered nurse and director of York鈥檚 School of Nursing, says 鈥淲e know we need to provide these learning opportunities for our students. We know the world is globalized, and it is important to give the experience of a global health perspective.鈥�  

The undergraduate practicum pilot project stems from the School鈥檚 graduate level project ASCEND (Advancing Scholarship and Capacity for Emerging Nursing Doctorates), which is a partnership between York鈥檚 School of Nursing and the School of Nursing and Midwifery at the University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS) based in Ho, Ghana. ASCEND supports Ghanaian nurses who come to York to pursue PhDs in nursing. Over the five or six years of its existence, the program has seen up to 10 Ghanaian nurses work on PhDs at York with the goal of returning home to teach other nurses and conduct research, says Root.  

York also helps educate other nurses and midwives in Ghana. In return for having the York nursing students at Mansa Memorial, Ghanaian health officials collaborated with York to access nursing education resources, Root says.  

鈥淲e offered one of the courses that I teach specifically on pregnancy to the nurses and midwives,鈥� she says. 鈥淭hey were given access to our online portal. We set up a separate one so they had access to slides, recorded lectures, all of the material and content.鈥�  

Root followed this up with a live Zoom session every two weeks to discuss a different case the Ghanaian health officials would present. It became a community of practice with both sides learning from each other, rather than just an invitation to join the course, Root says. She hopes to organize another session this summer.  

Mallette calls the partnership with Ghana a win-win for York and Ghana on many levels. She says the School of Nursing is keen to expand the practicum program; however, one of the biggest hurdles is cost to students.  

鈥淎t 快播视频, we have the most diverse population of students, many being first generation to be going to university,鈥� Mallette says. 鈥淗aving to work to be able to fund their education is really limiting.鈥� 

The School and its students will be seeking creative ways to fund and expand on these valuable international placements to provide more equitable opportunities for interested nursing students. 

With files from Julie Carl

Originally published in YFile.

The post Ghana offers unique learning opportunity for 快播视频 nursing students听 appeared first on Global Engagement.

When Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang was sworn in as Ghana鈥檚 first female vice-president on Jan. 7, it marked the latest barrier shattered by the 快播视频 alumna.

Her inauguration is another milestone in her journey from distinguished academic to national leader. Long before entering the political arena, she achieved historic firsts as the first female vice-chancellor of a Ghanaian public university in 2008, and Ghana鈥檚 first female minister of education, appointed by then-president John Mahama after the 2012 Ghanaian general election.

Her journey began in 1977 at the University of Cape Coast where she graduated with a BA (Hons) in education. She followed up with a master鈥檚 and doctoral degree in 1980 and 1986 respectively, both in English literature, at 快播视频.

Vice-Provost and Dean of the Faculty of Graduate Studies, Alice MacLachlan, says: 鈥淧rofessor Opoku-Agyemang鈥檚 trajectory as an alumna speaks to the nature of graduate research here at York 鈥� in particular, our commitment to cutting-edge research that remains socially engaged and grounded.

鈥淲e are all extraordinarily proud of her achievements and her commitment to political leadership and empowerment, and we honour her status as the first woman to take on so many crucial roles: first woman vice-chancellor of a Ghanian public university, first woman minister of education, and 鈥� now 鈥� first woman vice-president. Professor Opoku-Agyemang鈥檚 example reminds us that a master鈥檚 or doctoral degree from York 鈥� in any field 鈥� empowers our alumni to change the world.鈥�

Opoku-Agyemang taught and worked at the University of Cape Coast beginning in 1986. She has held various academic positions, including: head of the Department of English, dean of the Faculty of Arts, warden of Adehye Hall, Valco Trust Fund Post-Graduate Hostel, and the founding dean of School of Graduate Studies and Research. In 1997, she was named academic director of the School for International Training in the History and Cultures of the African Diaspora. From 2008-12, she was the Cape Coast University's vice-chancellor.

In November 2019, she returned to York鈥檚 Keele Campus to participate in the Tubman Talks series for the discussion 鈥淥n Feminizing the Academic Space in Ghana: The Story of a 快播视频 Alumna,鈥� where she shared her experiences as an academic in Ghana. With a population of more than 36 million people, Ghana is a country in western Africa, situated on the coast of the Gulf of Guinea. The country gained independence from the United Kingdom in March 1957.

"Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang's historic appointment as Ghana's first female vice-president is a significant achievement that reflects her commitment to education, leadership and public service," says J.J. McMurtry, dean of the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies. "Her accomplishment underscores her role as a pioneer for women in leadership, illustrating the potential for transformative change within governance and public service. As an alumna of York, her success serves as an inspiration for our students and exemplifies the values of our Faculty, highlighting the impact of a York education in shaping leaders who contribute meaningfully to society. We look forward to seeing the continued impact she will make in her field and on the next generation of student leaders in Ghana."

In July 2020, when she was first chosen to be his vice-presidential running mate by former president John Dramani Mahama, Opoku-Agyemang said: 鈥淢aking history is gratifying; but what really matters is not to be first through the door. What matters is to hold the door open for those behind us and create other avenues for self-actualization for many more.鈥�

Opoku-Agyemang鈥檚 journey serves as a testament to the limitless potential of dreams. Her achievement not only sets new precedents, but also ignites the belief that no dream is unachievable. Through hard work, resilience and an unwavering commitment to her vision, she has paved the way for future generations of women and Black leaders everywhere.

Originally published in YFile.

The post 快播视频 alumna makes history as Ghana鈥檚 first female vice-president appeared first on Global Engagement.

By Gloria Suhasini

New and returning students enjoy a meet and greet with the University president, foreign diplomats and peers

鈥淔rom the very first day I stepped on the 快播视频 campus, what I found most appealing was the mix of students from all over the world! This led to new friendships and connections which continue to make my university experience even more rewarding.鈥� said Damor McQueen, a fourth-year political science student from Jamaica, speaking at the President鈥檚 International Student Reception on September 25.

The Student Success Mentor Lead in the Black Excellence at 快播视频 program urged his peers to build new connections and get involved in academic and extracurricular activities to make the be best of 鈥渢his once in a lifetime opportunity being presented to you.鈥� He cited his own experience volunteering last year at the听Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences听hosted by York that led to his current work/study student opportunity.听

快播视频 continues to attract students like McQueen from around the world, who join the community with great enthusiasm to receive worldclass education 鈥� often work-integrated 鈥� in their chosen field, be that in the arts, science, technology or engineering.

To make high quality university education accessible, York offers several . One such scholarship is the President鈥檚 International Scholarship of Excellence, awarded to high school applicants around the world, who are entering their first year of a four-year undergraduate degree at the university. Another scholarship popular among international students is the Tentanda Via Award. Named after 快播视频鈥檚 motto 鈥淭he Way Must Be Tried,鈥� it assists undergraduate students who have demonstrated resilience in overcoming significant personal barriers in the pursuit of a university education and progressive changemakers committed to sustainable development.

Other scholarships available for international students include Daughters for Life, the Global Leader of Tomorrow Award, and Mitacs Internships and Awards. Several听听attended the president's reception. For additional information, students are encouraged to visit York鈥檚听Global Engagement听飞别产蝉颈迟别.

鈥淲hile it is our intention to support you in your academic journey, you also bring a wealth of insights and strengths to York," President and Vice-Chancellor Rhonda Lenton told the student audiences. 鈥淲e are thrilled that you chose us, and we look forward to what we will accomplish together. Please remember that nothing is more important than your well-being and health and we have many student services to support you.鈥�

The event organized by  was also attended by China鈥檚 Education Counsels Renzhu Li and Wenjin Han; India鈥檚 Consul (Commerce & Political) Kapidhwaja Pratap Singh; and the Philippine Deputy Consul General Kerwin Orville Tate and Consul Rodney Jonas Sumague.

These diplomatic representatives to Canada were not only present to celebrate their respective country鈥檚 highly talented students, but also to assure support in their new country of temporary residence. 鈥淲e wish them the very best in their courses of study,鈥� said Singh. 鈥淭he Indian Consulate remains at disposal for welfare and well-being of all Indian international students in Canada.鈥�

Diplomats were also on hand to speak to the students during the networking hour, a rare opportunity for these outstanding future leaders of the world.

By the end of the event, it was evident that many students had forged enriching new friendships that could last a lifetime, while advancing their education and career aspirations.

Originally published in News@York.

The post President Rhonda Lenton welcomes international students to 快播视频 appeared first on Global Engagement.

The York Emergency Mitigation, Engagement, Response & Governance Institute (Y-EMERGE) has established a partnership with the Research & Innovation Centre at the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS-RIC) in Rwanda that will bring AIMS PhD students to 快播视频 to pursue their research in mathematical modelling as a tool for addressing climate change.

The project, called Human Capacity Building in Climate Change and Health in Africa, is being jointly funded by York International (YI) and Global Affairs Canada鈥檚 Canadian International Development Scholarships 2030 program, marking the first external grant to Y-EMERGE. It is also the first time York International has matched funds on this scale in support of an international research endeavour.

鈥淵ork International is delighted that our researchers were able to leverage C$25,000 in matching funds to secure a significantly larger external grant for an impactful international research collaboration,鈥� said Vinitha Gengatharan, assistant vice-president of global engagement at YI. 鈥淭he money will be used to top up scholarships for up to six female PhD students coming to York, as well as to provide emergency bursaries for any PhD student travelling to York for this program.鈥� 

As part of the project, 10 PhD students from the AIMS Research & Innovation Centre will each spend a year at York between 2025 and 2028 to advance their work with mathematical modelling and climate change. Y-EMERGE will be hosting the program, with York International assisting in helping the students to feel at home. Participating students will have the opportunity to develop their research by working with experts in their areas of interest.听

AIMS is no stranger to 快播视频; the institutions have previously collaborated on infectious disease modelling for influenza and COVID-19.

For Professor Jude Kong, founder and director of the University鈥檚 Africa-Canada Artificial Intelligence & Data Innovation Consortium (ACADIC) and a native of Cameroon, this collaboration is a passion project. He believes a focus on climate change and health is imperative, as the African continent is already feeling the effects of climate change.

鈥淲e鈥檒l take the modelling experience present at York鈥檚 Y-EMERGE, as well as ACADIC and AIMS, to ensure we build the capacity to model climate change in Africa,鈥� said Kong. 鈥淐limate change is coming and the situation is worsening in Africa. It will affect health in a way that has never happened before, and we鈥檒l be able to build responsible models with an understanding of the local dynamics. 鈥� We鈥檒l be using local expertise, so the results will be locally relevant, decolonized and intersectional.鈥�

Professor Jianhong Wu, director of Y-EMERGE, is equally committed to the project.

鈥淲e consider this to not just be the beginning of an intensive collaboration with the AIMS Research & Innovation Centre in particular, but AIMS in general,鈥� he said.

Professor Wilfred Ndifon, president of the AIMS Research & Innovation Centre, added, 鈥淔or us at the institutional level, we have achieved our successes thanks to partnerships like the one we have with York.鈥�

To help facilitate this long-term partnership, Y-EMERGE is forming a college of mentors to work with the AIMS students and establishing an advisory board to guide the growing Africa-Canada collaboration in mathematical modelling.

鈥淲e want the students to not only get excellent training but to grow their careers and begin to build up their own networks,鈥� Wu said. 鈥淭he students who come to York to train will be ambassadors for collaboration between the African continent and Canada in mathematical sciences.鈥�

Kong is excited by the opportunity to build capacity on his home continent through a 鈥渢rain-the-trainers鈥� model.

鈥淲hen these students return home, they will be sent to other AIMS centres to make data actionable,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e need homegrown talent, rather than people from the Global North, to teach others [in Africa]. York is one of the many institutions that have reached out to help AIMS change the paradigm, and it is committing funding because they don鈥檛 view this as a one-off.鈥�

Originally published in YFile.

The post Y-EMERGE partnership to combat climate change by advancing mathematical modelling appeared first on Global Engagement.

By Corey Allen, senior manager, research communications

As a world leader in global health research, 快播视频 is fully committed to international collaborations across multiple sectors with academic, government, industry and community partners. Among those highlighting the impact of these partnerships is Professor Godfred Boateng. 

Forging strong relationships beyond geographical boundaries enables the York community to conduct meaningful work that defines the University鈥檚 approach to research and innovation: interdisciplinary, collaborative and equitable.  

Among those leading the way in this is Boateng, a quantitative sociologist and epidemiologist who was recently appointed听Canada Research Chair (CRC) in Global Health and Humanitarianism.听

One of Boateng鈥檚 latest research projects is related to his CRC appointment, which aims to measure and quantify different forms of resource insecurity, including food, water, energy and housing, as well as to advance our understanding of the overall health effects of environmental contaminants, both in the Global South and in Canada. This work exemplifies, he said, the importance of having international partners and collaboration.  

鈥淧artnerships are key and without them, global health research isn鈥檛 possible,鈥� he said. 鈥溈觳ナ悠碘�檚 partnerships in the Global South greatly expand the scope of my research and allow me to reach populations and communities that would not be accessible otherwise.鈥�  

Boateng鈥檚 project looks to collect physiological, ecological, and demographic data from informal settlements in sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America.  

Using high-cost field equipment, the researchers will assess the quality of the air and water samples (stored, drinking and groundwater) found in and around the settlements.  

The data will be used to validate scales, like the Household Water Insecurity Experiences Scale, co-developed by Boateng for use by public health practitioners, non-governmental organizations, government officials, and development agencies to monitor and assess progress on targets set out in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals around achieving equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water, as well as adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene. 

This is particularly important in sub-Saharan Africa, where flooding due to climate change is a considerable health risk and bacterial infections like dysentery and waterborne illnesses like cholera are widespread.  

The scales would help researchers and health-care professionals to assign a score to the environmental contaminants found in settlement households, which enables them to determine if water, for example, is safe for consumption without the need for further testing.听听

For local governments, this would streamline water, air, and housing quality assessments and provide valuable information to inform health-care policy and decision-making.  

鈥淥ur project will also produce the necessary data for comparative studies, so that this evidence can be used in other contexts, including in some Indigenous communities in Canada that face similar resource insecurity challenges,鈥� said Boateng.  

The project is slated to start this summer with 300 households in Accra, Ghana, alongside Boateng鈥檚 partners from his alma mater, the University of Ghana, and the University of Cape Coast, before moving onto research sites in Nigeria, Kenya and Malawi, and subsequently to Colombia and Mexico.  

Last month, Boateng was also part of a York delegation that visited Ghana, Nigeria and Kenya. The Africa trip helped the University engage with prospective students and explore partnership opportunities with local universities and research institutions.  

For Boateng, studying global health helps bridge the inequality divide.   

鈥淚t鈥檚 important to identify the sources of health disparities and the structural determinants of health, so that proper interventions can be put in place,鈥� he said.  

鈥淕lobal health research, when applied, can not only enhance the quality of life for the world鈥檚 most vulnerable populations 鈥� women, children and seniors 鈥� but it also has life-saving potential for people worldwide. It鈥檚 teamwork at its best.鈥�  

Learn more about听.

Originally published in YFile.

The post Prof exemplifies York excellence in global health research through worldwide partnerships appeared first on Global Engagement.

This good news wouldn鈥檛 have come as a surprise to anyone who has known the internationally renowned social anthropologist as a changemaker. Or those familiar with Giles鈥檚 positive impact on humanity through her research in refugee migration studies and applying evidence-based solutions to social issues facing the world.

鈥淧rofessor Giles sets a high bar on establishing and delivering on research partnerships that can evolve into global teaching engagements,鈥� says Amir Asif, vice president research & innovation at 快播视频. 鈥淎mong the many great examples of her partnership initiatives, the ambitious Borderless Higher Education for Refugees project delivering university education for refugees in camps, stands out. I am grateful that she continues to be part of 快播视频 after retirement.鈥�

Giles retired in 2018, more than three decades after teaching in the听Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies. Still associated with 快播视频鈥檚 Centre for Refugee Studies (CRS), Giles is also actively engaged with the University鈥檚听Research Commons听where she supports faculty applying for research and partnership grants.

As someone who studied, researched and co-authored with Giles, Professor Jennifer Hyndman adds, 鈥淧rofessor Giles tirelessly worked to forge partnerships with faculty at universities in the global South and Canada and NGOs in both Kenya and Canada, and fundraising with foundations and governments, before embarking on the pedagogy of delivering post-secondary curriculum to displaced people living in camps and the surrounding communities in which they lived. This honor recognizes this enormous and vital, but often invisible work.鈥�

A Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, Giles is truly a global scholar. Her scholarship is enriched by both lived experiences and through extensive research knowledge. Being drawn to social anthropology as a scholarly discipline came naturally to Giles, who has lived, studied and worked in Iran where she was born, and in the United Kingdom (her first citizenship), Canada (her second citizenship), France, Italy, the United States, Niger, and Burkina Faso.

鈥淎s an anthropologist, I thought I might be able to ask and possibly begin to answer questions about the poverty and other social inequalities that I had witnessed in Africa and the Middle East and the tenacious neo-colonial and unequal gender relations that persist to this day in international development, and in the politics of migration in Europe and Canada,鈥� says Giles.

She sought to find answers to those pressing questions collaborating with researchers both here at York and on the ground elsewhere in the world. For example, she co-authored with Hyndman books that provide insight into the vulnerable status of refugees. Their joint research topics included the role gender plays in militarized conflict, from war zones to refugee camps, and across regions as diverse as Africa, Europe, Central America and South Asia, and how refugees across the globe live in conditions that extend from years to decades, without legal status that allows them to work and establish a home.

Giles also co-wrote  with Laurie Miller (UBC), and counterparts in Kenya, Somalia, and the U.S., and NGO workers in and students from the camps, proving how global collaborations are possible and productive. The book was awarded the Jackie Kirk Award which recognizes literature committed to gender and education (particularly of girls and teachers) and/or education in conflict zones, and that works to identify, globalization as a context for local practice, and visual participatory research methodologies. The award funds, along with all book royalties, have been contributed to the support of university students in refugee camps in Kenya. 

The book published in late 2021 is based on听, the project that she launched and then co-led until her retirement in 2018, with education Professor Emeritus Don Dippo. The project was hosted by the听CRS, which Giles and Dippo were part of, and Global Affairs Canada funded it to improve access to education for refugees where they live.

The aim of the project was to create equity in higher education, prepare local uncertified refugee teachers, improve teaching practices for better student achievement at elementary and secondary levels, and provide university degree programs in Dadaab 鈥� one of the world鈥檚 largest refugee settlement in Kenya. The project is a development partnership between 快播视频; Kenyatta and Moi universities in Kenya; the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, University of British Columbia; and Windle International Kenya.  

Giles is a believer in life-long learning and continues to be affiliated to CRS. And as a life-long scholar and researcher, she is currently writing a historical novel,听Pursued听鈥� 丿賳亘丕賱. The story spans the early decades of the 20th century in England and Persia (Iran) and examines the unquenchable imperial thirst for what lay beneath the ground in southwest Persia 鈥� both oil and archaeological treasures 鈥� and how this听 thirst threatened to destroy the lives of more than one of the novel鈥檚 multigenerational characters.

Originally published in News@York.

The post Visionary global educator, 快播视频 prof emerita given one of Canada鈥檚 highest honours appeared first on Global Engagement.