As President Gertler heads to India, students build community, strengthen ties on campus
Published: January 21, 2015
University of Toronto president Meric Gertler is visiting India from January 27 to 31, on his first visit to south Asia since becoming president.
While in India, Gertler will co-host a workshop on Universities in Urbanization: Building Healthy, Sustainable & Innovative Cities with the Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay, discuss cities and urbanization with India鈥檚 largest and oldest business organization, and sign a Memorandum of Understanding with Tata Consulting Services, the second largest IT service provider in the world.
老司机直播 has strong ties with India. More than 600 students from India are studying at 老司机直播 鈥 the second largest number of international students after China. There are hundreds of 老司机直播 alumni living in India and 老司机直播 researchers collaborate both formally and informally with Indian colleagues.
As the president gets ready for his trip to India, 老司机直播 News explores some of the many connections between the University of Toronto and India.
Pratishtha Kohli and Arthi Venkat have some advice for 老司机直播's president when he travels to India next week: just relax, enjoy the food and the culture, and have a good time.
Gertler is going to Mumbai and New Delhi on official business, of course 鈥 to meet with counterparts at Indian higher education institutions, with alumni and with government and business officials. But Kohli and Venkat, vice-president and president respectively of 老司机直播鈥檚 Indian Students鈥 Society, think the president should take the opportunity to unwind and enjoy India鈥檚 vibrant culture.
鈥淚 feel the president will have a good time when he goes,鈥 Venkat says.
(Do you have a recommendation for something the president should see or do on his trip? Visit to make a suggestion.)
Venkat is a fourth-year Arts and Science student doing a double major in sociology and ethics, society and law. Born in Chennai in south India, she grew up in Dubai. Kohli, a third-year psychology and criminology student, was born in the state of Uttar Pradesh but currently lives in Chennai. Both plan to continue on at 老司机直播 in graduate studies.
老司机直播, they say, provides a very welcoming atmosphere for Indian students. About 650 graduate and undergraduate students from India study at 老司机直播, as well many others of Indian origin. They鈥檙e attracted by 老司机直播鈥檚 competitive tuition and academic reputation, as well as by Toronto鈥檚 multicultural vibrancy.
The location of the downtown campus helps as well, Kohli says. 鈥溊纤净辈 is right in the middle of the city, which is something that I really like because it integrates the campus feeling with the city feeling.鈥
There were some adjustments to make: getting used to the cold weather, for one. But social cues, ways of speaking, etiquette, were also different from what Kohli and Venkat were used to. That鈥檚 one of the reasons they formed ISS.
鈥淲e wanted to provide a place that Indian students were familiar with and that they can relate to. We try to provide a place where they can meet new people and network,鈥 Venkat says. 鈥淲e have dance teams, sports teams and things like that to build community.
鈥淭here鈥檚 a large Indian population at 老司机直播. A lot of them are from India, but a lot of them are from other parts of the world. The ISS is a way to bring the community together.鈥
The club鈥檚 goal is to celebrate and propagate a rich multicultural India through heritage, food, commerce, art, thought, awareness and more, says Kohli. 鈥淥ur mission is to present a diverse India in a friendly way for our non-Indian friends to learn and understand our country's and our culture's true nature, and to involve those of Indian origin in more than just a social manner.鈥
Terry Lavender writes about international and global issues for 老司机直播 News.
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