News

Studying abroad can be very daunting for some, but not for Renison resident Leo. Leo’s story at Renison started when he enrolled in the Joint Academic Program. He began during the pandemic and started his journey at Renison through virtual classes. The Joint Academic Program allows students to complete their studies in two different countries, combining the best of both educational systems. To hear more about his story, we sat down with Leo and discussed his experiences at Renison! 

During his time in GEAR, Yoshi became deeply involved with the Renison community and has participated in, and hosted, many events at the college. During that time, Yoshi booked a one-on-one meeting with Ryan Connell (Assistant Director, Student Experience and Housing) and started discussing his previous experiences hosting events and cultural workshops for international students at the Tohoku University in Sendai. Ryan suggested that Yoshi host a similar event at Renison, highlighting Japanese culture, as there are many who are interested in learning about Japan and who want to connect with Japanese students. Yoshi found the idea to be extremely exciting and got to work! Yoshi hosted an extremely successful and popular event called “Let’s go to Japan.” Yoshi expressed how fulfilling it was to share his culture and language with those interested in learning about them. The “Let’s go to Japan” event continues to a popular offering of the ELI, and has prompted similar events, conducted both in-person and online. 

After several years of limited travel, eight University of Waterloo students were able to participate in the Kakehashi Project, a week-long exchange program through Japan’s Friendship Ties Programs, overseen by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan. The students spent their Reading week, February 17-25, 2024 in Japan, exploring the cities of Tokyo and Aichi. Their trip was followed by a special exchange day at Waterloo when Renison hosted six Japanese students in early March. The project is designed to build mutual understanding and friendship between Canadian and Japanese students with engaging, and often transformative, intercultural experiences. 

Originally scheduled to take place in January each year, Renison’s Founders’ Day celebration has evolved throughout the past sixty years to better meet the needs of our community. Founders’ Day has traditionally fallen on January 14, in alignment with the College’s Charter Day (January 14, 1959). An argument could be made, however, for October 16, which was the official opening date of Renison’s original two-storey, seven room house at 193 Albert Street. 

One of the traditions of Founders’ Day that has not changed is the bestowing of Renison honours on members of our community. This year we have an incredible line up of honorees: 

The theme of Renison’s three-year Strategic Plan is Meeting the Moment. This simple phrase has become something of a mantra at Renison over the past six months because, in reality, it is anything but simple. To really meet the moment takes courage, commitment and careful introspection. We are at a moment in history that is demanding more from its leaders and its institutions.