Students Archives - Faculty of Science

�첥��Ƶ’s School of Continuing Studies launches four future-focused programs��

kseo — Fri, 02 May 2025 20:00:00 +0000

�첥��Ƶ’s (SCS) is addressing critical workforce needs with the launch of four programs designed to equip learners with skills for an evolving job market.

Developed in collaboration with leading industry experts, these new programs target skills gaps in digital construction management, cyber security and clinical research.

SCS will introduce these innovative programs this fall, along with an expansion of its transformative initiative that facilitates improvement of English language skills.

Christine Brooks-Cappadocia

“When we established the school in 2015, our goal was to develop a new model for continuing professional education that addressed critical skills gaps by connecting industry with the classroom, theory with real-world application and functional expertise with transferable skills,” says Christine Brooks-Cappadocia, assistant vice-president of continuing studies at �첥��Ƶ.

The announcement of these new industry-aligned programs reflects SCS’s commitment to empowering learners and innovating continuing education – and coincides with the school’s 10-year anniversary. This milestone, celebrated at a special event on April 24, marks a decade of growth from its initial offering of two programs to more than 40 professional and language programs, including several first-to-market.

“We set out to build a school – but we built so much more,” says Brooks-Cappadocia. “What we ended up building was a community with connections that have created remarkable success for our students, instructors, our University and the Canadian labour market.”

SCS continues to create pathways to meaningful careers by bridging skills gaps and equipping both new graduates and adult learners with practical, in-demand expertise, she says.

During the April 24 celebration, industry leaders, instructors and academic experts spoke on the school’s role in advancing accessible, future-focused education, reinforcing the significance of the new Fall 2025 programs.

The new programs include:

Students will gain hands-on training in artificial intelligence-powered workflow automation, 3D modelling and building information modelling (BIM), preparing them for high-demand roles such as a construction manager, project coordinator or estimator. This program addresses Canada’s critical need for construction professionals equipped with emerging technologies and project management skills to support productivity and sustainability – particularly in response to the country’s housing challenges.��
��
As the school’s first full-time, two-year program, learners will develop practical defensive and offensive cybersecurity skills through hands-on projects that mirror real-world scenarios. Developed in collaboration with industry professionals, this program helps fill the surging demand for cybersecurity experts in Canada’s growing digital economy.��
Students will gain experience observing live clinical trials while developing critical data analysis skills, preparing them for diverse roles in clinical research. This program strengthens Canada’s leadership in clinical trials and addresses the need for professionals skilled in healthcare data management.��
Delivered part-time, this program offers practical education in ethical hacking, vulnerability assessment and exploit development. Students will acquire skills that translate directly into the workplace, addressing the rising demand for cybersecurity specialists capable of identifying and mitigating digital security risks.��

Expanding the Integrated Year One Program

The Integrated Year One Program is a model for inclusive academic pathways at �첥��Ƶ. Initially launched in partnership with the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies (LA&PS), the program allows international students with IELTS (English proficiency) scores between 5.5 and 6.0 (or equivalent) to begin undergraduate studies while advancing their academic English skills.

Following strong outcomes – measured through improved student performance, higher engagement and increased retention – the program is expanding to include the Faculty of Science and the .

This growth underscores York’s commitment to reducing barriers to education, ensuring more international students have access to a supportive, integrated entry into their academic journeys, says Brooks-Cappadocia. By aligning language development with degree progress, the Integrated Year One Program sets students up for long-term success in both their studies and future careers.

The School of Continuing Studies recently marked its 10th anniversary with a celebratory event

“Ten years later, our vision has expanded to address our employer partners’ full range of talent recruitment, retention and renewal goals. The school’s ability to connect the needs of the employer community with educational best practices has the power to transform the Canadian workforce,” says Brooks-Cappadocia.

The school will continue to evolve, with a focus on becoming a full-cycle solution for organizations ready to build their workforce. Through its growing suite of B2B (business-to-business) solutions, it aims to connect employers with job-ready talent, upskill existing teams and support talent retention. Several new full-time and part-time programs are in development and will be announced later this year.

To mark its 10-year milestone, �첥��Ƶ alumni are invited to take advantage of an exclusive $300 tuition discount on programs offered by SCS. This special offer includes newly introduced programs designed to help professionals build in-demand skills, take the next step in their careers and invest in continued growth.

How to use the SCS alumni discount code:

Log in to��Alumni Perks��at��or via the app.
Locate��"School of Continuing Studies" under��"Perks."��
Click��"View Details"��for the offer:��.��
Copy the��SCSAlumni��promo code and follow the program registration instructions on the YorkU SCS program registration page.

Courtesy of��YFile

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Transformative Faculty of Science courses prepare future scientists

kseo — Thu, 20 Mar 2025 13:00:33 +0000

In the Faculty of Science, we continuously strive to deliver high-quality education and experiential learning opportunities that our students need to become future global leaders. In this issue of Innovatus, I am excited to share some of the ways in which we are prioritizing excellence in teaching and learning in the Faculty of Science.

^{Rui Wang}

Our Faculty has been working hard to expand co-op opportunities for our students so they graduate with real-world experience. For instance, we have launched an innovative work-integrated learning program open to all science students that has doubled its intake each year.

Our instructors are enhancing student learning and experience by introducing new technologies and methods of teaching, such as using virtual reality to augment students’ understanding of concepts and creating podcasts to increase the accessibility of course content. They are also creating new programming to support our students in becoming future scientists, such as a new transformative course for undergraduates to learn about the structure of a research career and how to conduct responsible research.

We have an incredible community of instructors and staff in the Faculty of Science who are committed to providing our students with the knowledge, skills and credentials they need and desire to successfully transition into rewarding and impactful careers. Our faculty members and staff are the drivers of teaching and learning innovation in our Faculty, and I am immensely proud of and grateful for their efforts.

Thank you,

Rui Wang
Dean, Faculty of Science

In this issue:

York professor pioneers podcast-based learning in biology
Professor Elizabeth Clare swaps traditional textbooks for dynamic podcasts, offering students a fresh, interactive and accessible way to learn complex biology concepts.

Using VR in chemistry to ‘future-proof’ students
A new fourth-year chemistry course at �첥��Ƶ is changing the way students learn, moving beyond traditional methods to embrace modern technology and deeper learning.

New biology course prepares �첥��Ƶ students for ethical research
Learn how a new fourth-year biology course is addressing scientific misconduct and teaching students the importance of integrity in research.

�첥��Ƶ enhances science co-op through national grant
�첥��Ƶ’s Faculty of Science will expand work-integrated learning opportunities and enhance experiential learning to prepare students for diverse careers in the field.

Courtesy of��YFile

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Markham students bring math to life through experiential learning

kseo — Sun, 16 Mar 2025 12:42:50 +0000

Students at �첥��Ƶ’s Markham Campus are taking their math skills beyond the classroom, thanks to a real-world teaching and learning initiative led by Assistant Professor Jessie Yang.

Under Yang’s guidance, seven first-year students host a bi-weekly math club at the Markham Public Library, offering tutoring sessions for children in grades 1 through 4. The students, who come from different disciplines of study, develop lesson plans, conduct math lessons and facilitate tutoring sessions.

Jessie Yang

Their goal is to inspire young minds to enjoy and excel in math while making the learning process fun and engaging, says Yang, a faculty member in the Department of Mathematics & Statistics, Faculty of Science.

“Despite being in their first year, these student leaders are already making a significant impact in their local community,” says Yang. “By applying their academic training in a real-world setting, they are gaining valuable experiential education that enhances their understanding of mathematical concepts and their ability to communicate effectively.”

The bi-weekly math club aligns with Markham Campus’ goal to foster community engagement and experiential learning.

"The activities helped me connect with students, allowing me to learn how to nurture curiosity and showed the importance of enjoying what you’re learning,” says Tharuk Ranasinghe, a computer science for software development student.

Maria-Aimée Tat, a first-year science student, says the experience has given her an opportunity to see first-hand how teaching can spark insterest in learners – and reinforce learning in teachers.

"Seeing their excitement when a concept finally clicks has been incredibly rewarding,” she says. “We’re grateful to be part of these young learners’ journeys and can’t wait to keep making math exciting.”

The began Feb. 22 at the Markham Village Branch and will run until March 22, with two sessions per day that offer four classes for grades 1 to 4.

Courtesy of��YFile

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Student-teacher team analyzes role of peer influence in teen vaping

kseo — Thu, 12 Dec 2024 19:55:34 +0000

A �첥��Ƶ researcher and his student have built a mathematical model to understand how peer influence plays a role in vaping among teenagers, and also in their decision to quit and perhaps start again.

“A lot of people, when they think about math, think about geometry and Pythagoras’ theorem,” says Iain Moyles, an associate professor in York’s Department of Mathematics & Statistics. “Math is a language of structure and logic and science that can help you test a hypothesis. So we’ve designed a mathematical model to understand the cause and effect of peer influence in smoking.”

^{Iain Moyles}

The idea came from PhD student Sarah Machado-Marques in response to a class assignment to experiment with math modelling to explain the psychology behind human behaviour.

Although she has never vaped, she says she wanted to understand why so many of her peers took up the e-cigarette craze when they were in high school.

“I’m really interested in why people do what they do, what drives people to make certain decisions,” she says. “I was walking around campus and noticed that vaping is still relevant in both my age group and also younger age groups, and so I started thinking, how can we use math to address this problem?”

Ten years ago, the surge in vaping among adolescents was considered an epidemic. In 2018, the number of U.S. high-school students vaping nearly doubled in a single year, according to the American Heart Association. More recent data, from Statistics Canada, shows that vaping is still popular among Canadian youth. In 2022, one in 10 Canadians aged 20 to 24 and one in 15 aged 15 to 19 vaped every day, compared with one in 50 Canadians aged 25 and older.

Moyles says the vaping epidemic is not a classic disease like COVID-19 but a social contagion that behaves like one.

“In a standard disease, you might walk past someone and infect them with an actual virus or bacteria,” he says. “In vaping or similar behaviours, an adolescent can pressure someone and you change your behaviour because you were ‘infected’ by the influence of your peer.”

^{Sarah Machado-Marques}

Machado-Marques says it can be a subtle pressure, where teenagers and young adults feel the need to fit in or mimic the behaviour of their friends.

What their research suggests is that while teenagers can be influenced to vape because their friends are, equally so, they may be influenced to quit the habit because their friends are. Their mathematical model shows that the long-term trajectory of vaping is a cyclical pattern of starting and quitting depending on what their cohort is doing.

“We see this re-emergence in society all the time – things that were cool when we were kids, then weren’t cool,” says Moyles. “Our kids and our grandkids eventually find them again and once again they become cool.”

The findings from Machado-Marques and Moyles can apply to any adolescent trend where friends have influence on each other. The same cycle can be seen in the pendulum between bell bottoms and skinny jeans, and curly and straight hair, for example.

Moyles says math modelling can be used by parents, teachers and public health authorities to identify cycles of undesirable adolescent behaviours influenced by peers and look for opportunities to intervene.

“The key learning I would say from our modelling would be to recognize the cycle and to start to saying, ‘OK, when do we think this sort of thing is happening and how do we get ahead of it?’”

The researchers say that while prevention is always best, attempts to influence more positive behaviour among adolescents may be strongest coming from other adolescents.

“If a parent or teacher encourages a certain behaviour, adolescents might do the opposite, just because it's not coming from within their influence group,” says Moyles. “The key from the influence structure of our model is to find a way to have that information coming through the peer network.”

Courtesy of YFile

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York students shine as astronomers in residence

kseo — Tue, 22 Oct 2024 18:47:17 +0000

Two �첥��Ƶ graduate students recently made history in the annual Astronomer in Residence program, a partnership between York’s Allan I. Carswell Observatory and Killarney Provincial Park.��Sunna Withers, finishing her master’s degree, and��Anna Skrinnik, a PhD candidate, completed a combined tenure, marking a first for the initiative.

The Astronomer in Residence program allows qualified astronomers to provide astronomy tours and programming at the certified dark sky preserve located on the Georgian Bay. Now in its third year, the program continues to offer unique opportunities for aspiring astronomers.

“This one-of-a-kind combined tenure allowed our two students to tag-team on events, support each other with telescope operations and provide a wonderful experience for the general public who participated on their tours,” says Elaina Hyde, director of the Allan I. Carswell Observatory.

At Killarney, Withers and Skrinnik independently created observing campaigns, set up telescopes and developed educational materials. This hands-on experience proved invaluable, offering a rare opportunity to work under truly dark skies.

Hyde emphasizes the rarity of such an experience, even for professional astronomers, due to increasing light pollution in urban areas. She notes that viewing objects such as the Andromeda Galaxy and the Milky Way with the naked eye can be truly inspirational.

The students’ �첥��Ƶ background prepared them well for this role. Hyde points out that York offers astronomical resources rarely found elsewhere, including the largest telescope on any Canadian campus.

Both Withers and Skrinnik have received extensive training at the observatory, with Skrinnik working on the Quail instrument mounted to the 60-centimetre telescope for her master’s thesis. This experience, combined with York’s weekly public viewing sessions, honed their skills in telescope operation and public outreach.

During their residency, Withers and Skrinnik captured impressive astrophotography, showcasing their work on the observatory’s blog. Their images not only highlight celestial objects but also demonstrate their ability to integrate astronomy with an appreciation for the park’s natural environment. “It was wonderful to spend time under dark skies, to see the Milky Way for the first time and to share this experience with the campers at Killarney park,” Withers says.

The students’ Drop in on the Night Sky program attracted more than 70 park visitors. “Sunna and Anna showed visitors Vega, the Ring Nebula and Saturn through the 16-inch scope,” says Kate Ward, senior park naturalist at Ontario Parks. “They did a good job adapting their delivery to different audiences, including lay people, astronomy enthusiasts and children.”

Hyde adds that the experience allowed the students to enhance their public speaking skills and gain valuable experience in setting up astronomical programming independently. “This program development is exactly what they will need to be able to do should they decide to become educators, scientists or even go into the realm of business after graduation,” she says.

Courtesy of YFile

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Mike Wessinger shares with graduands the secret to success

aburtin — Thu, 20 Jun 2024 14:01:49 +0000

Mike Wessinger, co-founder and executive Chair of PointClickCare, the most widely used cloud-based health-care software provider in long-term and post-acute care, spoke to Faculty of Science graduands about his path to success, and offered advice on how they might navigate their own way to a life of accomplishment.

Wessinger shared with graduands that a question he is often asked is, “What is the secret to success?” With the aim of leaving graduands with advice to take with them on their journey ahead, he shared that the answer – for him – is hard work and determination, above all else.

“Intelligence and emotional quotients do matter,” he stressed. “But, in my experience, the people [with great success] are those people who have the highest grit quotient. If they see a wall, they go over, under, around or through it.”

As Wessinger shared his professional journey, he illustrated how he faced – and overcame – some walls himself throughout his career. Among the first barriers was when he graduated from university as young man with no prospects, no money and the feeling that he was unemployable. He knew he wanted to be a success at something, but was unsure what direction to take. “I had to figure out how I was going to make something of myself,” he said. A break came when his brother helped him find a sales job in the long-term and post-acute care industry. He seized the opportunity and began applying himself. “I knew it was time to really buckle down and really get to work,” he said.

Pictured, from left to right: Chancellor Kathleen Taylor, Mike Wessinger, Provost and Vice-President Academic Lisa Philipps.

Wessinger familiarized himself quickly with everything he could about the industry he’d joined in order to not only excel in his sales job but find a way to revolutionize it. He hustled – often sleeping at the office and rarely taking time off – until he felt he was successful enough for a new challenge: starting his own business.

Initially, that business was selling existing electronic health records and financial software technology to nursing homes across Canada, but over time he found himself underwhelmed by the product he was selling. This technology is just not working, he thought at the time. It’s not making a big impact on these organizations. He believed the long-term and post-acute care space – and especially the seniors who lived within – deserved something more.

Wessinger and his partners decided to build their own solution, one that was ahead of its time: an electronic health records software that wouldn’t be installed on-site, but hosted on servers with clients accessing them through the internet. “We had no idea we were talking about software as a service (SaaS),” Wessinger said. “People couldn’t sell SAS back then. Nobody was talking about the cloud. We fundamentally changed the game.”

Not everyone shared that sentiment at the time. As Wessinger moved ahead with PointClickCare, it was the year 2000, shortly after the infamous dot-com bubble had burst, a time when many were wary of internet-based businesses. As Wessinger approached venture capitalists and banks with his startup idea, he joked that doors tended to close the instant he explained his mission to put seniors’ health records online.

Wessinger had to find a financial solution somehow, and he found it close to home. “The only people that were kind of enough to fund us go by the name of ‘Mom,’ ‘Dad,’ ‘Uncle,’ ‘Aunt’ and ‘Friend from Hockey Team,’” Wessinger said. With that came not just the usual high financial stakes of making a startup succeed but personal stakes, too. “I felt this enormous obligation to be successful,” he said.

Two decades later, PointClickCare is now one of the largest privately held software companies in Canada, with over 1,500 employees, and serving over 22,000 skilled nursing facilities across North America. “The thing I’m most proud of is that there are some two million seniors today that I know are getting the right care because they’re utilizing our software,” he said.

While the journey of a startup firm may be succinctly summarized in an honorary degree recipient’s address, the reality is a long road full of challenges, long hours and – sometimes – sacrifices. While Wessinger told graduands hard work is the “hack to success,” he offered some cautionary advice as well, for the ambitious. “People that are like me – forward-looking, a leader of an organization, trying to do something incredible – live in the future,” he said. While that can help those looking to advance their careers and businesses realize their goals, it can come with a risk, he noted.

Living, mentally, in the future all the time can remove a person from the present. “You have to stop and live in the now because that’s all you have,” he said. “I can remember my family would see me at the dinner table and sometimes say, ‘Where are you?’ I’d say, ‘I’m right here.’ They’d say, ‘No you’re not.” They were right. I wasn’t. I was somewhere else. Along the way, as you’re achieving great things, remember to stop and celebrate and live in the present.”

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Mike Wessinger to receive honorary degree during Faculty of Science Spring Convocation

aburtin — Wed, 12 Jun 2024 20:05:36 +0000

Mike Wessinger

During the Faculty of Science Spring Convocation ceremony on June 14, 2024, Mike Wessinger will receive an honorary degree from �첥��Ƶ. He is among eight individuals receiving honorary doctorates during the 2024 Spring Convocation ceremonies at York in recognition of their contributions to community building, advocacy for social justice and philanthropy.

Wessinger is the current executive Chair of the board for PointClickCare – a software provider helping long-term and post-acute care providers – which he co-founded and served as chief executive officer of from 1995 to 2021. Throughout his leadership, he led the company to become the first cloud-based health information system for the senior care industry, and North America’s largest care collaboration network.

In his role as executive Chair, Wessinger continues to champion corporate culture, enhance governance, recruit diverse talent, and partner with internal and external boards and teams to solve critical health-care challenges. Outside of PointClickCare, he is also co-chair of the C100 board of directors, where he actively leverages his years of experience to coach and mentor leaders at the helm of rapidly scaling tech companies.

Read the full story in .

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Science students recognized with thesis, dissertation prizes

aburtin — Wed, 15 May 2024 20:02:30 +0000

Congratulations to York Science graduands Jennifer Porat (PhD, biology) and Nina Garrett (MSc, biology) for receiving dissertation and thesis prizes from �첥��Ƶ’s Faculty of Graduate Studies (FGS) for their outstanding contributions to the local and global community. The prizes, valued at $2,000 for doctoral dissertations and $1,000 for master’s theses, are given out every spring to honour theses defended in the previous calendar year; Porat and Garrett were among .

Additionally, FGS nominated Porat for a dissertation prize presented by the Canadian Association for Graduate Studies (CAGS). The CAGS-ProQuest Distinguished Dissertation Award recognizes Canadian doctoral dissertations that make significant and original contributions to their academic field. Winners receive a $1,500 cash prize, a certificate of recognition and an invitation to attend the Annual CAGS Conference.

Jennifer Porat

Jennifer Porat received an FGS Doctoral Dissertation Prize for her thesis, “RNA methyltransferases Influence Noncoding RNA Biogenesis and Function Through Catalytic-Independent Activities.”

Porat’s innovative study encompasses various aspects of ribonucleic acid (RNA) biology – a molecule essential for most biological functions – while focusing on the lesser-studied functions of a set of eukaryotic RNA modification enzymes. The dissertation provides evidence supporting the multifaceted nature of these enzymes and underscores their importance in many fundamental biological processes. The pinnacle recognition of Porat’s scholarly excellence is exemplified by her recent Scaringe Award that acknowledges outstanding achievement of young scientists engaged in RNA research presented by the RNA Society, an international scientific society with more than 1,800 members dedicated to fostering research and education in the field of RNA science.

The examination committee Chair, Professor Emanuel Rosonina, stated that Porat’s work “fundamentally changes how we think about RNA-modifying enzymes.” He continued, “It is not common that a student forges new ground and concepts like this. Hers is among the most impressive PhD theses and defenses that I have seen at York and beyond.”

Nina Garret

Nina Garrett received an FGS Master’s Thesis Prize for her thesis, “Measuring neotropical bat diversity using airborne eDNA.”

Garrett’s thesis develops the novel technique of capturing airborne environmental DNA (eDNA) for the detection of tropical bat species. Garrett successfully demonstrates that airborne eDNA can accurately characterize a mixed-species community with varying abundances and that the type of sampler does not impact DNA concentration or read count. This study was extremely high-risk science because no one had ever attempted this type of work under field conditions with wild animals. At the time she started, there were only three published scientific works in existence demonstrating that airborne eDNA collection was even possible and all had been conducted under extremely controlled and artificial conditions (i.e. in a zoo).

Garrett’s two data chapters were published in PeerJ and Environmental DNA journals. Additionally, she has been acknowledged for her advanced academic and research leadership, having received prestigious awards for her master’s studies, including the Natural Sciences & Engineering Research Council of Canada’s master’s graduate scholarship and recognitions for her research presentations at provincial and national conferences.

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Undergraduate Chemistry and Biochemistry students showcase their research at provincial conference

aburtin — Tue, 09 Apr 2024 18:02:37 +0000

Undergraduate students from this year’s CHEM4000 and BCHM4000 Research Project Course travelled to Western University on Saturday, April 6 to present their senior thesis projects at the 52nd Southwestern Ontario Undergraduate Chemistry Conference. York’s Chemistry and Biochemistry undergraduate students Juan Valencia (Wilson Lab), Arman Parham (VandenBoer Lab), Kristina Gremi (Hili Lab), Samin Tavokoli (Johnson Lab), Hannah Le (Baumgartner Lab) and Manisha Kumari (van Wijngaarden Lab) were among 150 undergraduates from 15 universities who presented on a broad range of modern topics in chemistry and biochemistry.

Congratulations to Manisha Kumari, who received first place in the Physical, Theoretical and Computational Chemistry division, and Hannah Le, who earned second place in the Materials Chemistry division. As well, congratulations to all of our undergraduate students on their research projects and to their research mentors who have supported them all year.

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Inaugural GNL project brings students together

aburtin — Mon, 18 Mar 2024 19:42:22 +0000

The COVID-19 pandemic made student mobility and exchange programs challenging, but Hugo Chen, director of international collaborations and partnerships for �첥��Ƶ’s Faculty of Science, found a way to provide students with a global engagement opportunity nonetheless, by turning to globally networked learning (GNL). Now, post-pandemic, the GNL initiative – his Faculty’s first – is still going strong.

Hugo Chen

GNL, also known as collaborative online international learning virtual exchange (COIL-VE), refers to an approach to research, learning and teaching that enables students, faculty and non-academic researchers from different locations around the world to participate in, and collaborate on, knowledge-making processes and concrete research projects. It dovetails nicely with York’s University Academic Plan and its priority of advancing global engagement, as well as the Faculty of Science’s Strategic Plan with its goal of creating “more opportunities for all students to have international exchange and field course experiences.”

It also reflects the University’s commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), such as SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being, by contributing to students’ overall mental health and resilience; SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions, by promoting intercultural understanding and dialogue; and SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goal, by emphasizing the importance of global partnerships in achieving sustainable development.

“Many students found the pandemic stressful because they were stuck at home and their opportunities for international exchange were curtailed,” Chen said. “Although I was relatively new to York, I was experienced in international education and knew the benefits of GNL, or COIL-VE, as it is often called.

“The Faculty of Science hadn’t tried GNL previously, but I want to be an innovator and decided to facilitate some cross-cultural communication.”

With support from York International, the office that supports GNL initiatives at York, Chen reached out to Xin Wang, an associate professor at Northeastern University in Shenyang, China. The duo, and an administrative colleague there, agreed to organize a series of Zoom sessions to bring students from York’s Faculty of Science together with students from Northeastern’s School of Information Science & Engineering to increase intercultural understanding.

At York, Chen invited members of the group Global Leaders of York Science (GLYS) to participate. GLYS is a volunteer team that works closely with Chen’s office to support the Faculty’s international initiatives, provide undergraduate students with professional development opportunities to enhance their employability skills and help them develop a global mindset. A total of 35 GLYS members and Northeastern students took part in the initial cross-cultural sessions. They began with an international coffee chat over Zoom in November 2021.

Participants in Hugo Chen’s GNL project connecting through Zoom.

“My objective was to have them meet and talk about their own experiences,” said Chen, who is a certified sociocultural competency training facilitator. “The important thing was to build understanding and exposure around different cultures.”

A joint organizing committee comprising students from both universities created a series of virtual sessions, each lasting an hour and a half. The topics they chose included a comparison of their education systems; mental health, including pandemic challenges; artificial intelligence; and the opportunities and risks of globalization. Of course, there was also informal discussion about their favourite books and music, hobbies and interests.

“I suggested ideas, provided advice and was there to facilitate their conversations,” said Chen.

After each session, he and his Northeastern colleagues asked students to provide feedback and suggest potential improvements.

“This was an opportunity to broaden their world views without a huge cost,” said Chen. “Not all students can afford to travel abroad, so this makes international opportunities accessible and inclusive. Having such an experience may also encourage students to study or travel abroad later. There are benefits to exploring different perspectives and this project opens the door to those possibilities.”

The success of the program was apparent in the comments students provided on their post-GNL surveys.

“Engaging with students from different countries was enlightening,” wrote one student. “It’s fascinating to see how our approaches to science and education differ and, yet, how much we can learn from each other.”

Another student added, “This program opened my eyes to different cultural perspectives and has given me friends from across the globe. I’m still in touch with my group members and we often discuss our academic and personal life.”

Since 2021, Chen and his colleagues in China have run the program annually, with participants drawn primarily from GLYS. The composition of the group changes each time, with a mix of returning and new participants, and it continues to be popular.

“One of the program’s most gratifying outcomes has been the formation of ongoing relationships and friendships among the participants that have transcended the program’s duration,” said Chen. “This speaks to the depth of the students’ engagement and the program’s success in forming meaningful international ties.

“We also hope the students will choose York for their further studies.”

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