Trevor Young

The University of Toronto is increasing funding for PhD and SJD (doctor of juridical science) students across its three campuses in an effort to alleviate students’ financial stress, advance equity, increase access to doctoral research opportunities and boost research outcomes.

Beginning next fall, all current and incoming students in the funded cohort (the first four or five years) of PhD and SJD programs will be guaranteed an annual base funding package of $40,000 including tuition – one of the highest base funding packages in Canada.

The move is designed to place PhD students on a stronger financial footing so they can better focus on their research endeavors, boosting ��ֱ��’s competitiveness in attracting top talent and, ultimately, strengthening the university’s research enterprise and contributions to knowledge creation and economic growth in Canada.

“Our PhD students are at the heart of the University of Toronto’s success in driving cutting-edge research and innovation across disciplines. Their creativity, intellectual prowess and dedication are vital to the university’s mission of generating solutions to the most pressing challenges of our time,” said Trevor Young, ��ֱ��’s vice-president and provost.

“At the same time, financial pressures can have a detrimental impact on students’ well-being and ability to advance their research. By increasing our financial support, we hope to alleviate some of that pressure and improve the graduate student experience, ensuring that our programs can continue to recruit and retain the next generation of exceptional scholars.”

An estimated 2,800 domestic and international PhD students – more than half of the funded cohort – will see their funding increase under the new measure.

The new funding commitment comes as governments around the world increasingly recognize research as an engine of economic innovation. In its 2024 budget, Canada’s federal government made a significant reinvestment in the country’s research and talent. This included $1.8 billion over five years to the federal granting councils and $825 million to federally funded graduate scholarships, raising the value of doctoral scholarships to $40,000.

The federally supported scholarships, however, are competitive – most students do not receive them. The new funding commitment from ��ֱ�� raises the minimum level that all PhD and SJD students receive.

“I have always loved ��ֱ��, and it has allowed me to excel to places that I could only dream of. However, many times I deeply struggled to balance my academic aspirations with the intense demands of living and studying,” said Tina Keshavarzian, a PhD candidate in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine's department of medical biophysics whose research focuses on using single-cell sequencing, data science and machine learning to understand how cancers become more aggressive. The increased funding, she said, “can provide the stability students need to engage in their research and research community, leading to better academic outcomes and shorter times to completion. 

“When students feel supported and fulfilled, it creates a positive ripple effect in their academic teams and the entire university ecosystem.”

The updated base funding package will be primarily supported by funds from divisional sources – such as research grants, fellowships and other funding streams administered by individual faculties and graduate units – with additional support from the university’s central budget to soften the financial impacts on some academic divisions.

“I want to acknowledge, the tremendous leadership from deans across the university” said Joshua Barker, vice-provost, graduate research and education & dean of the School of Graduate Studies. “Increasing graduate funding for our PhD and SJD students is truly a collaborative effort, one that requires commitment from all our partners – graduate units, faculty members, the university advancement teams and the university’s senior leadership. Together, we can meet this challenge and provide the support our graduate students deserve.”

��ֱ�� has also launched a PhD scholarship matching program that seeks to create 250 new PhD awards as part of the Defy Gravity fundraising campaign. A donor’s $100,000 gift, combined with ��ֱ�� matching funds, will create a $250,000 endowed award, which will generate an annual income of approximately $10,000. This will combine with other sources of funding to increase the pool of funds available for PhD students.

“PhDs are our most research-intensive degrees and the students who pursue them spend a lot of time at the university,” Barker said. “Their work has helped make ��ֱ�� the highest ranked university in Canada and one of the world’s top research institutions – and a large number of our PhDs go on to work across Canada in both academia and the private sector, strengthening the country’s economy and innovation landscape.

“Investing in our PhDs means investing in Canada’s future.”

Barker noted the new funding initiative comes on the heels of extensive research and consultations. He pointed to ��ֱ��’s annual Graduate Student Experience in the Research University (gradSERU) surveys, in which a substantial number of respondents cited financial pressure as an obstacle to their academic progress.

In fall 2022, ��ֱ�� convened a Graduate Funding Working Group – chaired by Barker and comprising faculty members, divisional leaders and students – to examine the graduate funding landscape and make recommendations. The working group issued its report the following year, outlining its considerations and recommendations.

“We've heard the feedback, and the institution is now stepping up to do what's necessary to invest in our PhD students' well-being and success,” Barker said.

Keshavarzian, a member of the tri-campus working group who previously directed Temerty Medicine's graduate representation committee, said the working group was key to understanding and addressing the concerns of graduate students across ��ֱ��'s three campuses.

“This structure has allowed us to bring together diverse perspectives and create solutions at a university-wide level, rather than fragmenting the responsibility among various departments,” said Keshavarzian, who earned her honours bachelor of science degree at ��ֱ�� before returning for graduate studies. “I’m incredibly proud to be part of an institution willing to take on such hard work, aligning resources and leadership to address challenges systematically.

“This collaborative approach has helped ensure that our university remains responsive to the needs of graduate students and committed to creating an environment where they can thrive both academically and personally.”

'A profound sense of responsibility': Wes Hall installed as ��ֱ��'s 35th chancellor

rahul.kalvapalle — Fri, 01 Nov 2024 16:23:54 +0000

'A profound sense of responsibility': Wes Hall installed as ��ֱ��'s 35th chancellor

rahul.kalvapalle Fri, 11/01/2024 - 12:23

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Wes Hall, centre, is officially installed as ��ֱ��’s 35th chancellor in a ceremony attended by two of his predecessors in the role, Rose Patten, far left, and Vivienne Poy, not pictured, as well as Governing Council Chair Anna Kennedy, second from left, and ��ֱ�� President Meric Gertler, at right (photo by Johnny Guatto)

Topic

Faculty of Arts & Science

Meric Gertler

Subheadline

“As the 35th – and the first Black – chancellor in ��ֱ��’s almost 200-year history, I feel both pride and humility in donning these robes”

He’s a giant of corporate Canada, a successful investor, respected philanthropist and popular TV personality, but Wes Hall describes serving as chancellor of the University of Toronto as “the privilege of my life.”

Hall was officially installed as ��ֱ��’s 35th chancellor on Oct. 28 ahead of fall convocation ceremonies for students from the Faculty of Arts & Science.

As organ music filled the air, Hall was escorted into Convocation Hall by ��ֱ�� President Meric Gertler and a bedel carrying ��ֱ��’s ceremonial mace.

He expressed a “profound sense of responsibility” in taking on the role.

Hall, wearing his honorary degree robes in advance of his official installation as ��ֱ�� chancellor, is escorted into Convocation Hall by ��ֱ�� President Meric Gertler and a bedel carrying ��ֱ��’s ceremonial mace (photo by Johnny Guatto)

“As the 35th – and the first Black – chancellor in ��ֱ��’s almost 200-year history, I feel both pride and humility in donning these robes,” Hall said. “My presence here is a testament to the progress we’ve made at ��ֱ�� and in society as a whole, but it’s also a reminder of the work yet ahead of us.”

President Gertler described Hall as a “legendary figure on Bay Street” and a “dedicated philanthropist and community leader,” and welcomed him and his family members – Hall’s wife, children, father and step-mother were in attendance – to the ��ֱ�� community.

Friedemann Krannich, a PhD student in mathematics, assists Hall during the robing ceremony (photo by Johnny Guatto)

“This is a very special morning for the University of Toronto, one that occurs only rarely in our academic cycle – we simultaneously welcome our 35th chancellor and award degrees to graduates,” President Gertler said. “Members of this morning’s graduating class will therefore especially appreciate the importance of today’s installation for each of them and for all of us at the University of Toronto.”

After donning the chancellor’s robes, assisted by his predecessor, Rose Patten, Hall embarked on his first official act in the venerable venue: proclaiming, in Latin, the conferring of degrees to graduating students.

Hall said he felt both pride and humility in donning the chancellor’s robes (photo by Johnny Guatto)

Later in the day, Hall and ��ֱ�� announced the creation of the Chancellor Wesley J. Hall Journey of Dreams Scholarship. The scholarship will provide entrance awards to students starting at the university and, Hall said, advance ��ֱ��’s position as “a beacon of excellence, progression, and limitless possibilities.”

Hall’s track record as a business leader and philanthropist has exemplified progress, perseverance and a persistent social conscience. From humble beginnings in rural Jamaica, he rose to become one of Canada’s most influential business leaders as the founder of Kingsdale Advisors and WeShall Investments; a highly recognizable TV personality as a “dragon” investor on CBC’s Dragon’s Den; and an ardent philanthropist and anti-racism advocate as founder of the BlackNorth Initiative non-profit.

In 2021, he partnered with the Rotman School of Management to introduce the first Black entrepreneurship and leadership course in Canada, and he received an honorary doctorate from ��ֱ�� in 2023. The author of the memoir No Bootstraps When You’re Barefoot, Hall also serves on the board of directors of the SickKids Foundation.

Hall poses for a photo with a graduate (photo by Johnny Guatto)

Monday’s installation included dignitaries from the university and beyond. Donette Chin-Loy Chang, chancellor of Toronto Metropolitan University and board member at BlackNorth, said Hall “has broken barriers and subsequently worked to remove barriers for others who follow in his footsteps.” She was followed by Corwin Cambray, president of the ��ֱ�� ֱ�� Association, who said Hall’s life is a testament to his “perseverance, visionary leadership and a profound commitment” to the upliftment of others.

��ֱ�� Vice-President and Provost Trevor Young, speaking on behalf of faculty, highlighted Hall’s tireless efforts to expand access to opportunity for people from under-represented communities. “As the chancellor, you will now bring your many talents to champion higher education – perhaps one of the greatest opportunities that exists,” Young said.

Sydelle Mago, an undergraduate student, speaks to graduating students and other attendees while Hall looks on (photo by Johnny Guatto)

Jodie Glean, ��ֱ��’s executive director, equity, diversity and inclusion, described Hall as “a vocal champion” of people from marginalized backgrounds who “has demonstrated the impact EDI can have both within post-secondary institutions and across our local and global communities.”

For Sydelle Mago, an undergraduate student, Hall’s journey is a source of personal inspiration. “Chancellor Hall came to Canada from Jamaica and is a living testament to what hard work and perseverance can achieve,” Mago said. “His story motivates students like me to pursue our ambitions.”

Hall makes his way out of Convocation Hall following his official installation as ��ֱ��’s 35th chancellor (photo by Johnny Guatto)

At a reception to celebrate his installation at Hart House, Hall said he had been asked by some well-wishers if he was too busy to add the role of ��ֱ�� chancellor to an already long list of responsibilities. He responded by sharing the example set by his grandmother Julia Vassel, who raised him – along with nine other grandchildren and an adult daughter with special needs – in a tin shack on a plantation worker’s wage.

“One of those kids that she worked so hard to raise is asked in the future to be the chancellor of the top university in Canada – and one of the top in the world – and that kid says, ‘I’m too busy.’ Could you imagine?” Hall said.

“I’m never too busy to put my hand up and say, ‘I want to be a part of change.’”

��ֱ�� budget invests in teaching, research and student well-being as sector’s challenges mount

Christopher.Sorensen — Tue, 09 Apr 2024 18:22:52 +0000

��ֱ�� budget invests in teaching, research and student well-being as sector’s challenges mount

Christopher.Sorensen Tue, 04/09/2024 - 14:22

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(photo by Johnny Guatto)

Topic

The University of Toronto is continuing to invest in students – with financial aid, new housing and innovative classroom technologies – and drive forward world-class research, all while taking steps to address headwinds buffeting Canada’s post-secondary sector.

The 2024-2025 balanced budget, approved by Governing Council on April 4, plans for $3.52 billion in spending during the upcoming fiscal year, an increase of 4.9 percent over the previous period.

That includes hundreds of millions of dollars for student aid and an estimated extra $125 million related to increases in faculty, staff and librarian compensation following the repeal of Ontario’s Bill 124, which had placed strict limits on public sector pay increases for several years.

While the additional costs related to compensation required money to be redirected from other areas this year, more than $18 million will still be spent on everything from teaching innovations to upgrading classroom technologies, as well as supporting work on sustainability and inclusive research networks that seek to eliminate systematic barriers and advance members’ discoveries on a global stage.

The budget also details significant investments in capital projects that are planned or underway across the three campuses, ranging from student residences to new spaces for learning and research.

“The investments being made in teaching, learning and research across the University of Toronto’s three campuses make it possible for students and faculty to continue to excel in their chosen fields,” says Trevor Young, ��ֱ��’s vice-president and provost.

“They also underscore the university’s dedication to supporting the well-being and success of all its community members – both in the upcoming academic year and for many years to come.”

Demand for programs remains strong. Enrolment exceeded 99,000 students last fall and there are plans to increase domestic undergraduate spaces by 2,500 in the next five years, focusing on areas like nursing and medicine, including at the Scarborough Academy of Medicine and Integrated Health (SAMIH).

However, the university is forecasting slower revenue growth in the years ahead.

“We’re heading into a new planning environment compared to where we have been over the last decade,” says Jeff Lennon, ��ֱ��’s assistant vice-president, planning and budget.

He adds that the university continues to balance its budget and has benefited from strong returns on investments which will contribute to revenue growth next year. But he stresses that ��ֱ�� continues to face increasing financial pressure as a result of “extraordinary increases in compensation for faculty, staff and librarians following the repeal of Ontario’s wage restraint legislation, which has required the redirection of funds from other priorities.”

That’s in addition to the financial impact of slowing enrolment amid a more complex geopolitical environment, frozen provincial base operating grants and provincial restrictions on domestic tuition, he says.

Tuition fees for Ontario students, cut by 10 per cent in 2019, remain frozen, resulting in a $15-million impact to the university’s plan for next year. The cut and subsequent freezes to tuition have resulted in a $195-million reduction in annual revenue to the university as of 2023 relative to the pre-2019 framework that had allowed for annual domestic tuition increases of three per cent, Lennon says.

The continuing tuition fee freeze runs counter to the findings of a blue-ribbon panel, which last year recommended that the province lift the freeze on domestic tuition and called for a five-per-cent tuition increase next year for Ontario students and a minimum increase of 2 per cent in subsequent years. Last month, the Ontario government announced that it would provide $1.3 billion over three years to help stabilize the province’s colleges and universities, with particular assistance for institutions with more acute budget shortfalls.

Fees for ��ֱ�� domestic undergraduate students from outside the province, meanwhile, will see a five-per-cent increase in the upcoming year, while international fees will increase by an average of 2.1 per cent – although the cost to students for the latter will continue to be offset by $90 million that ��ֱ�� has earmarked for international student scholarships.

Another potential headwind is the federal government’s changes to international study applications for undergraduate students, which is meant to crack down on institutions that have rapidly recruited large numbers of students from outside Canada. While ��ֱ�� is not a target of the new rules, the changes may nevertheless create uncertainty for future students, Lennon says.

Despite these challenges, ��ֱ�� continues to make priority investments in several areas, including through its University Fund. For example, it is planning to spend $5.1 million to fund various divisional research and teaching initiatives, including: hiring new faculty; supporting programs that help students deal with the rising cost of living in Toronto; experimenting with AI in the classroom, flexible course delivery models and more opportunities for experiential learning; and adding programming around subjects such as data science, machine learning, global leadership, and life sciences.

There are also efforts to enhance access for underrepresented students through outreach programs, mental health supports and financial supports.

As in previous years, student aid remains a top priority in the 2024-2025 budget – with more than $380 million set aside for financial supports – part of the university’s pledge that no domestic student admitted to a ��ֱ�� program will be prevented from studying because of a lack of financial means.

The university is expanding its student residences with plans to add about 1,250 new spaces to its current inventory of more than 10,500 spaces across the three campuses. This past fall saw the opening of Harmony Commons at ��ֱ�� Scarborough and a deal that gives ��ֱ�� preferential access to CampusOne on the St. George campus. The new Oak House residence on Spadina Avenue is under construction and plans are underway for a new Phase IX Residence at ��ֱ�� Mississauga.

��ֱ�� is planning to invest $4.6 billion in 29 capital projects across the three campuses, which are to be funded through a mix of: cash reserves; debt; future cash contributions; and partnerships with donors and governments. Major projects under construction include the Lash Miller expansion and Academic Wood Tower on the St. George campus, as well as the Sam Ibrahim instructional centre and SAMIH building at ��ֱ�� Scarborough.

Future projects include the James and Louise Temerty Building on the site of the west wing of the current Medical Sciences Building, a new commerce building, the redevelopment of the 215 Huron site on the St. George campus and a literature, arts and media and performance building at ��ֱ�� Scarborough.

“These and other projects reflect the University of Toronto’s commitment to enhancing infrastructure, fostering innovation and enriching the academic experience of students, faculty and staff across the three campuses,” says Scott Mabury, ��ֱ��’s vice-president, operations and real estate partnerships.

“Such forward-looking investments play a key role in making sure we remain at the forefront of academia, research and innovation on a global scale.”

New Lab for the Study of Global Antisemitism will be a hub for scholarly inquiry and interdisciplinary collaboration

Christopher.Sorensen — Wed, 17 Jan 2024 17:27:17 +0000

New Lab for the Study of Global Antisemitism will be a hub for scholarly inquiry and interdisciplinary collaboration 

Christopher.Sorensen Wed, 01/17/2024 - 12:27

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(photo by University of Toronto)

Faculty of Arts & Science Staff

Topic

Our Community

Antisemitism

Trevor Young

Anne Tanenbaum Centre for Jewish Studies

Faculty of Arts & Science

Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy

A new lab at the University of Toronto’s Anne Tanenbaum Centre for Jewish Studies (CJS) will be a hub for scholars from across disciplines to examine the persistence of antisemitism in a global context.  

“Antisemitism has emerged in the global public discourse on a level that has not been seen in generations,” says Anna Shternshis, director of the CJS and the Al and Malka Green Professor of Yiddish Studies in the Faculty of Arts & Science. “By offering a space for convening and intellectual conversation, we hope to generate new insights on antisemitism as a phenomenon, and new responses for tackling its insidious pervasiveness around the world.”

Shternshis is a distinguished scholar with an international reputation for her expertise in Jewish culture in Russia and the Soviet Union, oral history as well as Yiddish music. Recently awarded a prestigious Guggenheim Fellowship for her work on Nazi-occupied Ukraine, she lectures widely around the world and her work has been featured in print media in 45 countries in 22 languages.

The new Lab for the Study of Global Antisemitism will be housed at the CJS, and its inaugural director will be Ron Levi, a professor at the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy and the department of sociology who is a Distinguished Professor of Global Justice. Levi’s research focuses on aspirations to law and justice, and on how we address crime, violence and atrocities during turbulent times. This includes a collaborative project studying hate and counter-hate speech that’s funded by the University of Toronto-Hebrew University of Jerusalem Research & Innovation Alliance. Levi is director of the Global Justice Lab in the Munk School, which works with justice systems under stress, and a recipient of the Ludwik & Estelle Jus Memorial Human Rights Prize. 

“There is a long history of expertise on issues relating to antisemitism, across fields of study, within and beyond the Anne Tanenbaum Centre for Jewish Studies,” says Levi, “and I am eager to strengthen these connections, to learn from each other, to inquire, and to build our collective understanding of antisemitism and global responses to this challenge.”

The goals for the new lab include bringing together scholars and students whose work connects, directly or indirectly, with the study of antisemitism. Among the lab’s first initiatives will be to convene an international scholarly lecture series on antisemitism across a wide range of fields of study, opening new opportunities for collaboration among researchers worldwide. The lab will develop research, teaching and study partnerships with other centres of knowledge for the study of antisemitism globally.

“The University of Toronto is well situated for this scholarship,” says Trevor Young, ��ֱ��’s vice-president and provost. “Our academic community has long-standing reach and expertise on the social and cultural issues of societies worldwide. Within the Canadian context, the University of Toronto offers the opportunity to study antisemitism as a global and comparative phenomenon, thereby offering a unique academic perspective within the field.” 

Melanie Woodin, dean of the Faculty of Arts & Science, says “it’s imperative that we continue to invest in scholarship in this area, and the connection to racism and exclusion broadly.”

She adds that she is committed to bringing together expertise within the faculty and beyond, and foresees that the lab will also help the faculty grow its research and other scholarly activities in relation to the state of democracy. 

In addition to the expertise within CJS, Woodin sees great opportunities for the lab to pursue academic collaborations – such as with the Systemic Islamophobia Research Lab (SIRL) in the Institute of Islamic Studies and the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy, which has an area of focus on the future of democratic societies and is soon to launch a new series of talks on the Middle East conflict. 

“It’s an understatement to say we are seeing a rise in antisemitism and other forms of hate, not just in places of higher learning, but in all facets of society,” says Woodin. “In search of any solutions, we must delve into the complexities before us and openly collaborate to examine how antisemitism continues to permeate the world around us.”

Randy Boyagoda appointed ��ֱ��’s provostial adviser on civil discourse

lanthierj — Tue, 16 Jan 2024 20:12:34 +0000

Randy Boyagoda appointed ��ֱ��’s provostial adviser on civil discourse

lanthierj Tue, 01/16/2024 - 15:12

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(photo by Derek Shapton)

Topic

Faculty of Arts & Science

St. Michael's College

Professor Randy Boyagoda has been appointed the University of Toronto’s first provostial adviser on civil discourse.

A faculty member in the department of English in the Faculty of Arts & Science and a noted novelist, essayist, book critic and scholar, Boyagoda will serve an 18-month term effective Jan. 1, 2024.

He will establish a working group that will lead community consultations and develop a plan for tri-campus events, resources and other initiatives for students, faculty and librarians to engage in and promote productive and respectful dialogue on all kinds of topics. The group will also learn from other institutions around the world that are pursuing their own efforts with respect to civil discourse.

“I was very glad to have been invited by the provost to take up this appointment,” Boyagoda said, adding that he’s looking forward to fostering “a tri-campus conversation in a variety of formats and scales that invite students and faculty to live out civil discourse.

“As part of that, we’ll be drawing on and benefiting from the excellent programming, teaching and research already taking place in this respect, in departments and programs across our three campuses.”

Boyagoda, who will continue to serve as vice-dean, undergraduate in the Faculty of Arts & Science, has previously served as principal and vice-president of St. Michael’s College and as acting vice-provost, faculty and academic life. He has also served as president of PEN Canada, the national chapter of the international non-profit organization that celebrates literature, defends freedom of expression and aids writers in peril.

“I am certain that Professor Boyagoda’s combination of skills and knowledge will serve the university well in this important role,” said Trevor Young, ��ֱ��’s vice-president and provost. “I am grateful to him for his willingness to serve as the provostial adviser on civil discourse.”

Young noted that ��ֱ�� President Meric Gertler addressed the issue of civil discourse at a meeting of the university’s Governing Council in December, saying: “Disagreements on our campuses can and will be heated. But they cannot be allowed to descend into hateful, demeaning or harassing behaviour. Our university must demonstrate to the world how civil, informed debate about difficult issues can be conducted.”

Boyagoda is well-suited to the task of helping to guide the university in answering President Gertler’s call, Young said.

Boyagoda has grappled with high-profile issues around free speech and civil discourse in his own writing and scholarship, including teaching a graduate seminar last fall – “The Satanic Verses and the Public Life of Books” – that considered the impact of author Salman Rushdie’s controversial novel.

“What’s important with civil discourse is to create the conditions, inside and outside the classroom, especially at a place as inherently and variously diverse as our university, for discussions that acknowledge difference while working towards shared understandings,” Boyagoda said. “This matters throughout our shared life on campus, and not just when it comes to the most divisive issues of a given moment.”

Ultimately, he said, the goal is to create the conditions for members of the university community to have the willingness and capacity to engage productively with people who hold viewpoints opposite to their own. This might involve public events, teaching fellowships, undergraduate, graduate and faculty research opportunities and other ideas and projects that emerge from consultations.

“When I was principal of St. Michael’s College, I would propose to incoming students that it was so very important to approach your years at university as an exciting and demanding opportunity to do more than just think for yourself – which strikes me as a lonely, boring, self-confirming exercise. To my mind, university is a time and space to discern who you want to think with, who you want to think against, and how to do so, with others, for the greater good,” Boyagoda said.

“Doing this difficult thing, together, and for the greater good: that’s what civil discourse is all about.”

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Provost Trevor Young

��ֱ�� partners with leading African universities and Mastercard Foundation to advance health care in Africa

bresgead — Tue, 16 Jan 2024 18:44:25 +0000

��ֱ�� partners with leading African universities and Mastercard Foundation to advance health care in Africa

bresgead Tue, 01/16/2024 - 13:44

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The Africa Higher Education Health Collaborative Executive Steering Committee, including ��ֱ��’s Joseph Wong and Wisdom Tettey, fourth and third from right, met in Cape Town, South Africa in October 2023 (photo courtesy of Africa Higher Education Health Collaborative)

Topic

The University of Toronto, the Mastercard Foundation and a network of leading African universities are embarking on a 10-year initiative to enhance primary health care workforce education, entrepreneurship and innovation across Africa.

The partnership, known as the Africa Higher Education Health Collaborative (AHEHC), was launched in 2022 and aims to bolster the continent’s health sectors as part of efforts to improve care for millions while supporting youth employment and economic growth. Participating institutions from Africa include Addis Ababa University, the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences, African Leadership University, Amref International University, Ashesi University, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Moi University and the University of Cape Town.

The AHEHC partners are committed to reshaping the health-care landscape in Africa by preparing young people for meaningful work in health and wellness through contextually appropriate and sustainable primary health care.

According to a 2022 survey of 47 countries in Africa, there’s an average of only 1.55 doctors, nurses, and midwives per 1,000 people, significantly below the WHO’s recommended ratio.

AHEHC was a key topic at a 2023 meeting in Cape Town, South Africa that focused on a collective goal of enhancing the health sector to benefit African societies. The gathering included several ��ֱ�� leaders: Joseph Wong, vice-president, international; Trevor Young, dean of the Temerty Faculty of Medicine who is now vice-president and provost; and Wisdom Tettey, vice-president and principal of ��ֱ�� Scarborough. Representatives from all partnering institutions also participated.

“The Africa Higher Education Health Collaborative is part of a larger movement – driven by Africans for Africans – aimed at enhancing the continent's economic vitality, improving access to health care and generating fulfilling employment in the health sector,” Wong said.

"The members of this collaborative are working hand-in-hand to advance local priorities and leverage our collective resources to create a healthier, more sustainable future, with each partner contributing to and learning from the others.”

Wong added that AHEHC’s work is guided by the idea of co-creation – an approach that was evident at the October 2023 convening as the partners cemented the mutual relationships, laying the foundation for the widespread adoption of African-led solutions across the network.

��ֱ��’s participation in the AHEHC aligns with the university’s broader Africa strategy, which encompasses various initiatives from entrepreneurship exchanges to high-level summits involving representatives from universities, governments and various international development groups. It is guided by the President’s International Council on Engagement with Africa and is outlined in the university’s International Strategic Plan 2022-2027, focused on global reach, global learning and global impact.

"We aim to tap into the tremendous young talent and vast opportunities across the continent while addressing challenges facing Africa’s primary healthcare systems, including severe worker shortages,” said Penina Lam, ��ֱ��’s senior director of international relations, who is leading AHEHC’s implementation.

AHEHC’s initial focus will be in Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Rwanda and South Africa, aiming to strengthen health sectors. Through hands-on training in various disciplines, AHEHC seeks to prepare the next generation of health-care practitioners. The approach aims to enhance the delivery of high-quality primary care, stimulate economic growth and develop robust societies. This aligns with the Mastercard Foundation’s Health Strategy, which seeks to create three million dignified and fulfilling jobs in primary care, with an emphasis on employment opportunities for women and young people.

The 2023 Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning, & Adaptation (MELA) co-creation workshop was held in Cape Town, South Africa in October 2023 (photo courtesy of Africa Higher Education Health Collaborative)

As the secretariat for the initiative, ��ֱ�� plays a supportive role in co-ordinating collaborations and programs tailored to each partner’s local health priorities, needs, assets and expertise. This involves facilitating learning, development and implementation across the network, managed by a team in Canada and through three regional hubs in Africa.

For example, the Temerty Faculty of Medicine’s department of family and community medicine partnered with the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology. Together, they co-delivered continuing education courses for primary care workers in critical areas such as palliative care. About 100 Ghanaian primary care professionals participated in the courses this fall.

This program is among many guided by AHEHC’s three pillars: health employment, focusing on workforce development; health entrepreneurship, which supports the creation of businesses that will produce health innovations and self-employment opportunities; and health ecosystems, which engages partners in government, corporations, non-profits and other institutions in the collective effort to transform the health sector.

AHEHC will also build on the success of the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program, ushering in a new cohort of graduate students from countries in Sub-Saharan Africa to pursue their studies at ��ֱ�� over ten years.

AHEHC leverages ��ֱ��’s longstanding, mutually beneficial relationships with institutions in Africa, such as the Toronto Addis Ababa Academic Collaboration, which brings together ��ֱ�� faculty members with colleagues at Addis Ababa University to co-develop graduate programs and train professionals, many of whom remain in Ethiopia to contribute to various sectors.

Wong said the initiative is an important one for the university.

“This collaborative aligns with our institutional mission to foster an academic community in which the learning and scholarship of everyone flourishes,” he said. “We are committed to the principles of equal opportunity, equity and justice – not just here in Canada but globally.”

Trevor Young appointed ��ֱ��’s vice-president and provost

Christopher.Sorensen — Tue, 27 Jun 2023 20:19:58 +0000

Trevor Young appointed ��ֱ��’s vice-president and provost

Christopher.Sorensen Tue, 06/27/2023 - 16:19

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(photo by Nick Iwanyshyn)

Tabassum Siddiqui

Topic

Our Community

Temerty Faculty of Medicine

Toronto Academic Health Science Network

Cheryl Regehr

Meric Gertler

Provost

Trevor Young, dean of the Temerty Faculty of Medicine and an internationally recognized scholar on bipolar disorder and the molecular basis of mood disorders, has been appointed the University of Toronto’s new vice-president and provost.

Approved Tuesday by ��ֱ��’s Governing Council, Young’s appointment is for a five-year term, effective Jan. 1, 2024 to Dec. 31, 2028.

Currently also serving as ��ֱ��’s vice-provost, relations with health-care institutions, Young is a professor in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine’s departments of psychiatry, and pharmacology and toxicology, and a senior scientist at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health.

He previously served as ��ֱ��’s acting provost from July to December 2021.

“As dean of the Temerty Faculty of Medicine, Professor Trevor Young has demonstrated exceptional leadership on many fronts, from launching transformational academic programs to developing important initiatives around equity, diversity and inclusion,” said ��ֱ�� President Meric Gertler. “He also played a key role overseeing the university’s relationship with its health-care partners – and, as the university’s acting provost, helped lead the University of Toronto through a challenging period during the pandemic.

“I look forward to having Professor Young join the vice-presidential team and to continue working closely with him on advancing the university’s mission.”

Young, who will succeed current Vice-President and Provost Cheryl Regehr, said his time as acting provost spurred his interest in taking on the role on a longer-term basis.

“It means a lot to me to be able to give back to the university, which has been like a second home for me in many ways,” he said. “The fact that I can contribute by making an impact as provost is really significant to me.”

Since being appointed dean at the Temerty Faculty of Medicine in January 2015, Young launched a new foundational curriculum for MD students, introduced several interdisciplinary education and research programs, advanced system-wide equity, diversity and inclusion initiatives with partner hospitals and other health sciences faculties, and led the renewal of medical sciences laboratory space.

He also advanced the Temerty Faculty of Medicine’s position as the lead contributor to Ontario’s regulated health professional workforce and made significant progress in areas of equity, diversity and inclusion through his support of curricular innovation and new initiatives such as the Diversity Mentorship Program and the Black Student Application Program.

As vice-provost, Young has overseen the university’s relationships across the Toronto Academic Health Science Network, a thriving research enterprise comprised of nine fully affiliated teaching hospitals and four associate member hospitals.

“Temerty is a big, multi-departmental faculty, which has helped prepare me to take on a leadership role of this scale and complexity,” Young said. “During my time as dean, I learned how important it is to make sure that you include a lot of voices and listen closely to seek out opportunities for solutions.”

The recipient of numerous awards, Young has led several large clinical programs, including the mood disorders program at Hamilton Psychiatric Hospital, which received the American Psychiatric Services Gold Achievement Award. In 2009, he was made a fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences.

Young received his MD from the University of Manitoba and his PhD at the Institute of Medical Science at ��ֱ��, where he completed his residency training. He was a research fellow at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and has been a professor of psychiatry and behavioural neurosciences at McMaster University; professor and head of the department of psychiatry at the University of British Columbia; and professor and chair of ��ֱ��'s department of psychiatry.

“I've had the experience of being a ��ֱ�� student, a faculty member and in leadership,” Young said. “I've had a chance to see lots of different sides of the university and hear perspectives from the community – and that will serve me well for this role as provost, which has oversight over so many areas.”

In January, President Gertler shared that Regehr, a professor and former dean of the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work, planned to step down as vice-president and provost at the end of the year. First appointed to the role in 2013, her many accomplishments include improving ��ֱ��’s equity and outreach programs, supporting faculty diversity, excellence and leadership, securing enhanced supports for graduate students and advancing student mental health.

“I want to thank Professor Regehr for her exceptional leadership and dedication to student success and academic excellence,” President Gertler said. “Her achievements in this integral role will continue to resonate at the university for many years to come.”

As provost, Young said he plans to build on Regehr’s work while drawing on his background in mental health and his role as chair of the Presidential and Provostial Task Force on Student Mental Health.

“I really want to continue to work on student mental health and accessibility – I think we’ve done a remarkable job of improving that, but I think we have to do even more,” he said.

“I also want to look at how we approach AI in all the work we do in teaching and research, especially given the fact that we’ve had such a remarkable impact on the field coming from Geoffrey Hinton and others here. And finally, I’d like to look at how the three campuses can work even better together.”

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