In Brief

 

Mature students

About 50 students turned out for a “Septemberfest” for mature students on Saturday, Sept. 18.

Over the course of the day, they took one-hour workshops on effective learning skills provided by Counselling and Development.

Concordia has about 3,200 mature students, who are defined as undergraduate students over 21 who have been out of school for at least two years and lack a CEGEP DEC.

The Centre for Mature Students, headed by Professor Robert Oppenheimer, provides invaluable support. The staff have the assistance of about 10 student mentors who can help new students from their own recent experience at the university.

Chinese visitors

Dennis Dicks played host in August to a group of Chinese scholars who won Canadian Studies Association Fellowships to collaborate with counterparts in Canada. The scholars came from 14 institutions all over China, plus one from Mongolia.

He explained in an e-mail: “Our role at Concordia is to provide orientation, logistic help and advice on meeting with Canadian academics. When they were here, I had the visitors meet about 20 Concordia faculty working in related fields over lunch.

“For 10 years or so the Joint Centre for Asia Pacific Communications Research (Concordia/UQAM) has conducted an orientation program for Chinese (and occasionally Mongolian) scholars who arrive in Montreal at the start of a month-long visit.

“Every year the Association for Canadian Studies, based in Montreal, organizes a research competition for Foreign Affairs Canada through the Beijing Embassy.

“Scholars submit proposals to study our expertise in areas as diverse as women in media, free trade or food safety. The winners get to visit their counterparts at universities and research units across Canada, expenses paid.

“Our part here involves briefing them on tips on life in Canada, new contacts, including Concordia faculty, and sources of information, including internet search techniques.

“This August, for the first time, Concordia hosted the whole event. We welcomed an especially young group of faculty, several still working on doctoral theses. And as usual this event proved not only intellectually stimulating but great fun as well!”

Japanese visitors

On Sept. 21, a dozen representatives of Japanese universities visited Concordia with a representative of the Quebec Ministry of International Relations. They met Provost Martin Singer for tea on the Loyola Campus.

The visitors were from Kyoto Education University, Akita International University, Hiroshima Municipal, Keio Gijyuku, Meiji University and Tokyo University of Agriculture & Technology.

The previous day, Vice-Provost Vo Van attended a meeting organized by CREPUQ at which the Japanese presidents met officials of other Quebec universities.