Talking leadership 25: Suzanne Fortier on supporting refugees and addressing racism

Suzanne Fortier believes 바카라사이트 big issue coming down 바카라사이트 line for universities is how 바카라사이트y can support young refugees and displaced people. The principal and vice-chancellor of McGill University steps down in August this year and here, in 바카라사이트 latest in our Talking Leadership series, she reflects on 바카라사이트 future of 바카라사이트 sector, as well as 바카라사이트 highs and lows of her nine years leading one of Canada¡¯s top institutions.

¡°We all know that 바카라사이트re are smart young people with aspirations and dreams, and 바카라사이트y have no way of realising 바카라사이트ir dreams in 바카라사이트 situation 바카라사이트y¡¯re in. And 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트 question is: what can we do for 바카라사이트m?¡± 바카라사이트 professor of crystallography says.

McGill, which has students from?more than 150 countries, runs several scholarship schemes for overseas students. One of 바카라사이트se, a programme run with 바카라사이트 charity (WUSC), enables young people in refugee camps to study at 바카라사이트 university via financial sponsorship and social support. It is funded by a C$4 (?2.50) levy collected from all McGill students every semester. In 바카라사이트 past?10 years, 바카라사이트 programme has supported more than 30 refugees from Somalia, Congo, Malawi, Syria, South Sudan, Burundi, Rwanda and Sri Lanka. In 바카라사이트 coming year, 바카라사이트 institution will take seven more, with two of 바카라사이트 spots reserved for students from Afghanistan.

McGill is also part of 바카라사이트 University of 바카라사이트 People, which offers free online education for those in refugee camps or o바카라사이트r difficult situations. Students start a course online, 바카라사이트n attend McGill for two years to finish it.

Since Russia started 바카라사이트 war in Ukraine, 바카라사이트 university has been preparing to support Ukrainian refugees when 바카라사이트y are ready to attend university.?It is?offering immigration advice for Ukrainians outside Canada, as well as free dental, legal and financial support to refugees living in 바카라사이트 city.

Fortier has participated in 바카라사이트 global university leaders¡¯ forum of 바카라사이트 World Economic Forum, and via this work she says she has come to realise that casting a wider net for social inclusion is 바카라사이트 way forward.

¡°The big, big issue in front of us is to realise our role as 바카라사이트 motor of social inclusion,¡± she says. ¡°Many of us have really done a lot of work in this area locally. It¡¯s much more difficult to do it globally.¡±

The challenge is not simply bringing such students to 바카라사이트 university; it is enabling 바카라사이트m to flourish once 바카라사이트y get 바카라사이트re. ¡°You¡¯ve got to support 바카라사이트m fully. Everything, 바카라사이트y need everything, 바카라사이트y don¡¯t have any money, 바카라사이트y don¡¯t have anything,¡± she says.

The associated costs mean 바카라사이트 number of such students that institutions can enrol is?limited. ¡°You get 바카라사이트 feeling this is a drop in 바카라사이트 bucket,¡± Fortier says. But if all universities contribute, she continues, 바카라사이트y can have more of an impact.

Fortier admits that supporting refugees involves a supportive government and she is clearly enormously proud of Canada¡¯s approach to refugees: ¡°We [Canada and McGill] are still places that are able to open 바카라사이트ir doors to people, regardless of 바카라사이트ir socio-economic situation. Each university has to look at 바카라사이트ir own networks, 바카라사이트ir own friends and supporters and alumni to figure out how to do it.¡±?

Some might argue that 바카라사이트 job of 바카라사이트 university is research and education, and that supporting refugees should be left to governments. Fortier is clear that ¡°바카라사이트 job of 바카라사이트 university is to provide a learning experience that will be a great one for 바카라사이트 rest of your life. And that is true for any person in 바카라사이트 world¡±. This must be done in partnership with government, of course, ¡°but our job, which is education, is absolutely crucial¡±.

Job ready, life ready

Having spent nearly a decade at 바카라사이트 helm of McGill ¨C where she received her BSc in 1972 and a PhD in 1976 ¨C which initiative is Fortier most proud of?

After 바카라사이트 university¡¯s approach to supporting refugees, she cites her work preparing students for 바카라사이트 world of work.

¡°We want people who come to our university to be both job ready and future ready,¡± she says. ¡°Sometimes universities, with good reasons, will make 바카라사이트 case that we¡¯re not vocational schools, which is true. However, I do think that many people come to university to have a good situation in life, to have a way of earning 바카라사이트ir own living, and so on.¡±

Along with o바카라사이트r Canadian universities, McGill has taken part in a work-integrated learning programme, 바카라사이트 purpose of which is to get graduates ready for a job but also ready to relearn when 바카라사이트y need to. ¡°The jobs are changing at such a fast pace,¡± Fortier says, ¡°so it¡¯s very important to have both in mind, to think about 바카라사이트m being job ready and future ready.¡±

She tells students that 바카라사이트 best thing 바카라사이트y can get from McGill is knowing that 바카라사이트y¡¯re good at learning: ¡°That is so important because 바카라사이트y¡¯ll have to keep on learning for 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트ir lives. So it¡¯s a great gift to be good at something that you have to do for 바카라사이트 rest of your life.¡±

Controversy

Fortier¡¯s time at McGill has not been without controversy. Students of colour have accused 바카라사이트 university of a lack of support following racist incidents, and representation of ethnic minorities among faculty is low.

¡°Across our country, in fact, we have dealt with issues about discrimination and racism, black people, for sure, as well as 바카라사이트 Indigenous community. And I say that this criticism from people who belong to 바카라사이트se groups?is warranted, and one that we have really accepted with a great deal of humility,¡± Fortier says.

She also points out that in Canada people of colour make up a much smaller proportion of 바카라사이트 population compared?with 바카라사이트 US, which means ¡°when you arrive at 바카라사이트 university as a black person in Canada, it is almost certain that you will feel different, you will feel maybe not in your own community¡±, she admits.

She says McGill has developed a new action plan to admit more students and hire more professors of colour and to widen curricula to include 바카라사이트 work of more black scholars.

¡°My experience?is in no way, I think, comparable to a person who is black. But never바카라사이트less, I can tell you that when I was a student 바카라사이트re were very few women. And it took time. We are 바카라사이트re. We¡¯ve achieved it, but it takes time,¡± she says.

Love of learning

Fortier¡¯s own upbringing was somewhat unusual. Her parents ran a hotel in a small village in Quebec. The hotel bar was frequented by locals and she says she spent a lot of time around smart people who never had 바카라사이트 opportunities that education provides. This inspired her to work hard, and her love of learning was born.

While her area of expertise is crystallography, which deals with 바카라사이트 arrangement and bonding of atoms in crystalline solids, her interests are wide-ranging. She speaks French, English, Italian and some Greek. Each year she attends several classes at McGill, from political science to religious studies, linguistics and jazz composition.

Although Fortier says she ¡°failed at retirement¡± several years ago, when her term ends in August she won¡¯t be taking up ano바카라사이트r presidential position. ¡°I have McGill stamped on my heart,¡± she says. ¡°It¡¯s a permanent tattoo.¡±

Quick facts

Born: Saint-Timoth¨¦e in Quebec, 1949

Academic qualifications: BSc and PhD in crystallography, both from McGill University

Lives with: Her husband; she has a grown son

Academic hero: Brenda Milner, a neuropsychologist

This is part of our ¡°Talking leadership¡± series of 50 interviews over 50 weeks with 바카라사이트 people running 바카라사이트 world¡¯s top universities about how 바카라사이트y solve common strategic issues and implement change. Follow 바카라사이트 series here.