Queen’s University has demonstrated a long-standing support for people displaced by conflict, persecution, and political instability.  Over the last 34 years, Queen’s has welcomed and supported 36 forcibly displaced students through their partnership with the World University Services of Canada (WUSC).  

In September 2021, in addition to the SRP regular stream candidates, Queen’s responded to the Afghan crisis with a commitment to welcome five students from Afghanistan.  As part of the resettlement pledge to these five students Queen’s has been providing comprehensive English language education in 2022-23 with anticipation the students will be fully engaged in their academic programs of study in 2023-24.  Queen’s declaration to the students is to fund all of their tuition and fee expenses and to provide a robust financial package for living expenses. 

In addition to the monetary provision, there is a strong acknowledgement among the members of the Queen’s-WUSC Local Committee of the wide-ranging support the sponsored students require as they adjust and integrate to university life, the local Kingston community and thriving in their adopted country of Canada. The student leaders have reconstituted the local group to foster an engaged core of peers to ensure that each of the sponsored students (regular stream and Afghan cohort) are partnered with peer mentors to help the sponsored students adjust to the academic environment and manage the countless new experiences and challenges they encounter.  

As the Queen’s team supporting the sponsored students, they have the honour of witnessing their perseverance through uncertainty and challenges; to appreciate their curiosity and adaptability, to marvel at their determination to succeed and to meet the expectations they have for themselves; and to observe their growth in confidence as they proceed through their degrees and begin journeys in their desired careers.

Equity, Diversity and Social Justice are not just ideologies or buzz words at Centennial College, it is their mission to prepare students for career success. 

Their programs - both in and out of the classroom - are intentionally designed to meet the unique needs of diverse students and the tools that are employed to build such programs are rooted in values of equity and social justice. As part of their Student, Community and Engagement Team, it is in their nature and their make up to welcome newcomers to the city of Toronto, to Canada. 

They work towards building skills, supporting students with their personal, professional and academic goals and fostering global connections. 

Their student population represents just over 102 countries and cultures. The values and goals of WUSC’s programs, specifically those of the SRP are well-aligned to their program outcomes. It just made sense for them to work together!

The Local Committee at Centennial College is a small but growing team. They officially formed their Local Committee virtually during the pandemic in the summer of 2021 with a goal to raise awareness and funds to support one student through the SRP program. Their team was involved in setting up a scholarship for the SRP program with an aim to develop a sustainable source of funding for student refugees. 

Although their mobility programs paused during COVID due to travel restrictions, Centennial was and remains committed to supporting students impacted by war and geo-political unrest through Canada’s refugee program. 

They were honored to be selected as one of the institutions to host a new initiative by WUSC and the International Olympic Committee and welcomed an Olympic athlete, Nigara Shaheen from the International Refugee Team as a student. 

This past year has been a valuable learning experience for their team and they are currently working on preparing to host a student through the regular stream.