UW welcomes 34 Ukrainian students to continue education
Posted May 31, 2022 10:47:00 AM.
Amid the ongoing war on Ukraine, the University of Waterloo welcomes 34 Ukrainian students to continue their education.
Already, 17 students have arrived and are studying with Waterloo professors in an academic internship, while remaining students will be coming within the next couple of weeks.
This internship will be free of cost to the Ukrainian students and is funded by several on-campus sponsors and external supporters.
This initiative is led by the Waterloo Artificial Intelligence Institute (Waterloo.AI). The internship includes a variety of academic research, hands-on lab tours, and workshops focusing on artificial intelligence.
Upon arrival, each student is required to do an English-language assessment.
“From there, they get a one-month English second-language training for two hours a day to raise their levels in those areas. Complimentary that, is assigning them with a professor that best matches the student's interest,” said Harold Godwin, Managing Director of Waterloo.AI
The university is building on the University of Toronto and Vector program. Harold said when the UW introduced its internship in mid-April, there was an overwhelming response by professors.
“The whole goal is that we are helping them get ready to finish a degree potentially, and that is the next step in discussion, though no formal plans on that.”
But, he added, “there are programs for those in the Masters's level to continue their education here under the sponsorship of the Canadian government. In that program, the students already have to be in Canada, which would be a precursor to helping those candidates.”
Godwin added that one student expressed that coming to UW is like a dream.
“'It's surreal. All these things we see in North American culture, but us, to be here at UW on campus to see the student way of life, the smiles, the culture, the outreach. That's the thing. They can't believe how much everyone wants to help.”
Harold added, the goal is to provide these students with more options.
