Canada’s York University is rapidly building momentum on the global stage as home to world-class educators preparing students for long-term career and personal success, with high-quality academic programming, transformative interdisciplinary research and a welcoming multi-campus experience.
Raising the bar in post-secondary education with three unique campus settings in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) – Keele, Glendon and Markham, and centres globally in Hyderabad, India and Las Nubes in Costa Rica – York University is an international leader in creating a more sustainable and inclusive world.
In the latest development, the government of Ontario has announced that York University’s School of Medicine will open in 2028 in Vaughan, another GTA city, bordering with Toronto in the north.
York University’s School of Medicine comes with a bold vision to create the foremost community-based doctor education in Canada and will begin to prepare the next generation of talented frontline primary care doctors who represent the diversity of the communities in which they live. The School has plans to launch a unique bridging program to help ensure that no qualified future doctor goes without access to medical education.
York University’s Glendon campus is nestled on 35 hectares in Midtown Toronto, with small class sizes promoting strong connections between students, faculty and staff. Courses are offered in an immersive environment with an option to study in English and French. Programs enriched through a focus on global engagement are at the centre of the University’s founding campus.
Also located in Toronto, York University’s Keele campus is where more than 53,000 students, faculty, staff, partners and the surrounding community converge. The vibrant campus is home to 10 academic faculties amid expansive research, arts and athletic facilities.
The Keele campus affords students a myriad of opportunities — through experiential education as well as technology-enhanced and work-integrated learning — to explore new ideas, gain invaluable hands-on experience and pursue their passions.
Keeping in mind housing shortages in the GTA in general, York University guarantees residence to all first-year international students, at both Toronto campuses.
To encourage students to advance their academic aspirations through these opportunities, York University offers several scholarships and bursaries. This includes the new International Entrance Award, which is valued at $2,500 to $7,500 (Canadian) and available to all international applicants who have been admitted to an undergraduate degree at York University for Fall 2024.
The President’s International Scholarship of Excellence, valued at $180,000 (Canadian), is awarded to top high school applicants from around the world, who are entering their first year of a four-year undergraduate degree at the university.
Another scholarship popular among international students is the Tentanda Via Award, valued at $120,000 (Canadian). Named after York University’s motto “The Way Must Be Tried,” it assists undergraduate students who have demonstrated resilience in overcoming significant personal barriers in the pursuit of a university education and progressive changemakers committed to sustainable development.
Ramesh Venkatesa Perumal, the first PhD graduate of York University’s School of Nursing, is seen with his wife and children after his convocation, in Spring 2023.
Ramesh Venkatesa Perumal is a perfect example of someone who benefited from the opportunity that York University offers its students, whether coming straight from high school in Canada or abroad, or someone returning to university after several years working in their field.
An Indo-Canadian, Venkatesa Permal is proud to be the first PhD graduate of York University’s School of Nursing.
This is not the first time he has stood out in academia. Venkatesa Perumal chose nursing education in the 1980s, at a time when it was uncommon for a male in India to pursue. He graduated with a diploma in nursing from the Christian Medical College (CMC), Vellore in 1987, as one of only four men in his class of 50 students. Venkatesa Perumal started his career at his alma mater soon after program completion.
The Vellore native says, “I consider it my calling, and this profession has made me a more humane and compassionate person. Looking back, I do not regret one moment of my life as a nurse.”
Venkatesa Perumal remembers how his mother carried him to a nearby town from his village for treatments when he was little and compares nursing to that kind of motherly care. “I did not get to choose my mother, but I received much love and compassion from her throughout my life. Similarly, a patient doesn’t get to choose a nurse, but it becomes our responsibility to ensure they are provided the best care.”
After moving to Canada, he went back to school to pursue nursing with Canadian credentials. His wife, who is also a registered nurse, and his mentors at York University have been a great support, “My wife kept encouraging me throughout. ‘Go and explore what the opportunities are,’ she would say.”
And that support helped him go a long way. He dedicated most of his time not only to studies, but also to teaching and is currently an assistant professor in the university’s School of Nursing.
Teaching is not new to Venkatesa Perumal. After completing his master’s degree in the medical surgical nursing field and a fellowship in Australia, he taught at CMC as a lecturer for five years, until moving to Muscat, Oman with wife for new opportunities. He was a lecturer and assistant dean of undergraduate studies at Sultan Qaboos University, where he helped establish a BScN program, before permanently moving to Canada to build on his successes.
Venkatesa Perumal wants to pay it forward to those who have been on a similar journey. He mentors immigrants and newcomers in his profession and is building on his PhD dissertation, Impact of Social Support and Mentorship on Career Development for Internationally Educated Nurses, through research collaborations around the world.
Learn more about York University’s network of campuses and learning opportunities by visiting www.yorku.ca/India
Published - June 25, 2024 05:30 pm IST
