On August 22nd , Ian Rowlands (Associate Vice-President, International) and Amelia Burton (Associate Director, International Relations) travelled to Toronto for a series of meetings designed to strengthen Waterloo’s connections with the world.
Ian and Amelia attended meetings with three Consul Generals along with their staff. Consul Generals – local offices of their home country, and reporting to their respective Embassy or High Commission in Ottawa – are critical representatives of their countries in Canada, serving as a ‘window to their country’ in terms of Canadians’ interest in their country, as well as their citizens’ interests in Canada. For the University of Waterloo, Consul Generals – and Consulates more broadly – are critical partners, often working collaboratively with Waterloo International to make connections between Waterloo’s community of students, staff, and faculty, and another country’s universities, businesses, governments, civil society, and more.
Waterloo International continues to steward relationships with many of these Toronto-based Consul Generals and their consulates. This trip was a valuable opportunity to meet with representatives of three countries that have great connections with Waterloo.
The business day started in the North York area, at the South African Consulate-General in Toronto. Ian and Amelia met with South Africa’s Consul-General Thandiwe Fadane and Consul-Political Phumudzo Ratshitanga (pictured below). An update on recent Waterloo interactions with South Africa (including visits to our campus by representatives from Stellenbosch University and Cape Peninsula University of Technology) was followed by a superb discussion about how to deepen and broaden equitable partnerships for impact.
(L-R) Consul-Political Phumudzo Ratshitanga, Consul-General Thandiwe Fadane, Associate Vice-President, International, Ian Rowlands and Associate Director, International Relations, Amelia Burton
The next meeting was with the Republic of Korea’s Consul General Deuk Hwan Kim and Consul Yunjin Jang (pictured below). It proved to be an excellent opportunity to review the many connections that the University of Waterloo has with Korean universities, research institutes, and others. Every year, for instance, there are approximately 100 co-authored publications between those at the University of Waterloo and those at Korean organizations. Additionally, there is much student mobility – exchange, co-operative education, and research students travelling across the Pacific (in both directions) to learn and to share. KAIST, POSTECH, Seoul National University, and Yonsei University are just some of our many valued partners in the country.
(L-R) Consul Yunjin Jang, Associate Director, International Relations, Amelia Burton, Consul General Deuk Hwan Kim, and Associate Vice-President, International, Ian Rowlands
The final meeting of the day took Ian and Amelia to the Consulate-General of Japan in Toronto, to meet Consul-General Sasayama Takuya and Consul Masahiro Matsui (pictured below). A productive discussion reviewed the many Waterloo-Japan collaborations for impact together. Indeed, Waterloo International has had much interaction during the past year with Japan, including hosting visitors from Tohoku University and the University of Tokyo, as well as a number of start-up companies through collaboration with JETRO (Japan External Trade Organization) in Canada.
(L-R) Consul Masahiro Matsui, Associate Vice-President, International, Ian Rowlands, Consul-General Sasayama Takuya, and Associate Director International Relations, Amelia Burton
For Ian and Amelia these meetings were meaningful, important, and enjoyable in multiple ways. They serve not only to share up-to-date insights and analysis with valued, knowledgeable partners, but they also serve to continue to steward – and to build – trusted and effective relationships for impact. Indeed, all three of these meetings built upon previous meetings and they are part of a pathway that ensures UWaterloo has an open door for continued executive travel and collaboration. As such, these visits are critical parts of larger and impactful partnerships for the University of Waterloo.
