When Dr. Narinder Paul Singh visited Canada to research universities for his two sons, he started his search in British Columbia and worked his way east, visiting multiple universities in different provinces.
He was looking for three things: a safe campus, academic excellence, and strong career prospects.
Ultimately the University of Waterloo, located 115 km west of Toronto, offered the ideal academic advantage. Well-known for its computer science, engineering, and math programs, Waterloo also boasts the largest co-op (paid internship) program of its kind in the world, with more than 8,000 employers actively hiring students for paid, relevant work experience.
(left to right) Dr. Singh, Harkanwal, and Jasmeet at Harkanwal’s graduation.
“When I visited campus, I saw it was a very safe place, and the co-op program had a very strong reputation. When I connected with a Waterloo staff member, she explained how co-op works and introduced us to Indian students in their second year. Their experiences convinced us to send our children to Waterloo.”
Harkanwal, his eldest son, was accepted into computer science at Waterloo in 2015, a program that is ranked 21st in the world (2024 QS World University Rankings). Four years later, his younger son Jasmeet joined him. Today, both have graduated and launched successful careers.
Harkanwal has remained in the city of Waterloo, working as a software engineer for an American engineering firm and buying his first home in 2023.
Jasmeet was offered a job at LinkedIn in New York City before he even completed his degree – he accepted that job and still works there today.
A supportive community
As a professor in material sciences and physics, Dr. Singh was no stranger to university campuses. He spent his career in teaching and administration roles at the prestigious Guru Nanak Dev University, Sant Longowal Institute of Engineering and Technology, and IKG Punjab Technical University Jalandhar. He even spent nearly a year as a visiting faculty member in Louisiana, USA.
One thing that stood out as a critical part of any university experience? Community.
As a Sikh family, he wanted to be sure that his sons would be at a tolerant and diverse campus with opportunities to practice their religion.
Our sons wear turbans, which is very prestigious for us. My wife told me that we needed to find a place where we could send our children safely.
When Dr. Singh visited the Waterloo campus, he was happy to see a lot of diversity. Even if he didn't notice many Sikh students at the time, he liked that there was a strong mix of cultures.
Today, with 30,000 undergraduate students, nearly one in five Waterloo students come from outside of Canada. India is the third largest source of students.
His son, Jasmeet, says he has always felt safe on campus. He would spend hours studying at the library with friends, sometimes not leaving until well past midnight. “We used to study in the library until 3 a.m. easily,” he smiles. “We never felt unsafe. The community is very inclusive.”
When he wasn’t hitting the books, he took part in typical university social activities such as spending time with friends or dining at the local shawarma restaurant.
He also joined the Indian Cultural Association to help plan activities that connected back to home, such as cheering on their favourite cricket teams or celebrating Diwali.
A global reputation for excellence
Vivek Goel, President and Vice-Chancellor at University of Waterloo
While the well-being of his sons was top of mind, Dr. Singh didn’t want to compromise on academic excellence. Waterloo’s reputation for attracting and teaching the best and brightest students was well known across the globe.
In the 2024 QS World University Rankings, which ranked 1,500 institutions across 104 locations, Waterloo was named the #112 university in the world, and #5 in Canada – an impressive accolade for a university that was only founded 65 years ago. And in the most recent rankings (2022), QS ranked Waterloo the #1 university in Canada for graduate employability - and 24th in the world.
Jasmeet was impressed with his professors throughout his studies, especially when seeking support during challenging times. “They are very, very supportive. They want you to actually succeed, it’s not a superficial thing,” he says.
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Waterloo co-op: An unrivalled connection to industry
Waterloo’s origin story is unique. In 1957, local engineers connected with industry partners to design a post-secondary curriculum that was unheard of at the time: students would spend one semester in the classroom learning the traditional way, then spend one semester working hands-on in a related industry to gain practical skills. They would alternate back and forth until graduation, creating a cycle of continuous learning.
This led to the founding of the University of Waterloo.
That co-operative education model is still in practice today and has grown to attract 8,000 active employers posting co-op opportunities on Waterloo’s exclusive job board for students. This competitive process sees students employed in more than 25,000 co-op jobs every year.
Although similar to internships, what sets co-op apart is that jobs are typically paid work terms. A student will earn on average between $9,600 and $22,500 CAD on their first four-month co-op work term.
Depending on the program, students can graduate with up to two years of paid work experience (four-to-six co-op jobs over the course of their degree) and earn money to support with the cost of education.
“Is it easy? No,” says Jasmeet. He recalls watching his brother struggle with balancing midterms and job interviews when they were living together in his second year. “Handling interviews and academics at the same time can be hard,” he says.
“But the satisfaction in successfully landing a job is worth it. Once you have a good interview, you’re almost more excited about that than getting a good grade, so that helps,” he laughs.
And while Jasmeet was not enrolled in a co-op program, he was able to leverage Waterloo’s well-established career preparation expertise. He participated in the EDGE certificate program which taught him how to articulate his skills and stand out to employers – something which he put to good use when he secured an internship at LinkedIn in his upper years.
"All it takes is dedication - it's tough, but if you have the dedication, you get results.”
Jasmeet says he would recommend Waterloo to anyone looking to prepare for future success in any career. He says the hard work is worth it.
About the University of Waterloo
- First-year students are guaranteed a spot in residence if they submit their deposit by the deadline
- The Waterloo region ranks among the top 10 safest communities in Canada (Statistics Canada Crime Severity Index 2024)
- Canada ranks as the 3rd safest country globally (US News 2024)
- Student safety is a priority. Well-lit walking paths, 24/7 on-call residence and maintenance staff, and a dedicated campus police service are just some of the precautions taken to ensure a secure environment.