About Us
McMaster University consistently ranks among the world’s Top 100 universities (#69 in the 2021 Times Higher Education Rankings and #98 in the 2020 Shanghai Jiaotong Rankings). As articulated in our McMaster Model for Global Engagement: A Strategy Document, we pursue an approach to global engagement informed by our motivation to:
- cooperate for peaceful coexistence and mutual benefit
- meet international demand for the University’s expertise in research and education
- fulfil the civic mission of the University
The Office of International Affairs is responsible for the development and realization of our Global Engagement Strategy. We achieve this through:
- exploration and facilitation of international institutional partnerships
- advising and assisting McMaster faculty and staff with strategic development and coordination of international activities
- creating opportunities for McMaster faculty and staff for strategic international collaboration
The Office of International Affairs reports to the Office of the Provost and Vice-President (Academic) and participates in regular consultations with the McMaster Global Advisory Committee, whose members are:
Andrea Baumann – Associate Vice-President, Global Health
Nicole Longstaff – Senior Project Manager, Strategic Initiatives
Peter Mascher (Chair) – Vice-Provost, International Affairs
Karen Mossman – Vice-President, Research
Anne Marie Owens – Executive Advisor, Strategic Communications
Susan Searls Giroux – Acting Provost and Vice-President (Academic)
Sean Van Koughnett – Associate Vice-President (Students & Learning) and Dean of Students
Doug Welch – Vice-Provost and Dean of Graduate Studies
Mary Williams – Vice-President, University Advancement
People

Administration
Nicole Longstaff
PMP
Manager, Strategic Initiatives and Special Projects

Administration
Joanne Squires
Executive Assistant

Administration
Paul Leegsma
Project Officer / Education Coordinator

Administration
Tania Hakim
Project Officer

Administration
May Zhai
Program Manager

Administration
Ni Jadon
Senior Project Manager & International Liaison Officer

Leadership
Peter Mascher
Ph.D. FCAE, P.Eng.
Vice-Provost, International Affairs
The McMaster Model for Global Engagement: A Framework for Strategic Planning
Vision: McMaster University aspires to make global engagement in education and knowledge generation an integral part of its identity and presence in Canada and the world
Five Key Strategic Focus Areas
The McMaster Model for Global Engagement identifies 5 priority strategic focus areas to thematically guide and provide a framework for McMaster Faculties and administrative reporting units to identify and plan relevant supporting goals and activities within their respective areas:
The University endeavours to include an international dimension in its core activities of teaching, learning, research, and outreach. We will do this by:
- promoting the value of studying abroad
- encouraging students to actively contribute to and benefit from the international flavour of our university
- offering workshops to help faculty and researchers share international points of view
- actively engaging in partnerships that create innovative learning environments
- diversifying the countries from where students are recruited
- creating a supportive and inclusive environment for international students
- fostering an atmosphere of mutual learning between international and local students.
International initiatives often require activities that fall outside of traditionally funded approaches to research. We will aim to:
- Provide the same level of university support for the development of complex international initiatives the administrative maintenance of successful proposals that exists for more conventional research endeavours
- Give tangible evidence to faculty and staff that international engagement is a valued activity and is viewed as a critical contributor to McMaster’s global position.
It is essential that global engagement become part of McMaster’s culture. We will:
- strive to establish an active learning process that prepares students for successful international engagement and value exchange
- work with provincial and federal governments in support of global programs
- involve our extensive network of international alumni in defining McMaster’s international culture as part of its global presence
We will identify specific institutions, countries, and regions that offer the best opportunities for sharing of learning and knowledge, as well as enhancing research, education and social and economic development. This includes:
- Support for the incubation of new ideas and initiatives to engage in world-class research in a global environment
- Capacity building for higher education at an international level.
The rapid development and ubiquitous nature of advanced communication technologies greatly facilitates international collaboration, with the added benefit of mitigating some of the financial and environmental costs of internationalization.
Although McMaster is engaged in a myriad of international activities, these generally are not well publicized and many individuals on campus are unaware of what is happening outside their immediate area of work. We will:
- Regularly update an inventory of international research and learning activities
- Create campus-wide opportunities for cross‐Faculty dialogue to:
- facilitate knowledge dissemination
- foster interdisciplinary international interactions
- Establish forums specifically for sharing of experiences among participants in international activities and those who have not (yet) participated. Such events will be widely publicized, both internally and externally.
To review the full ‘McMaster Model for Global Engagement: A Strategy Document’, click here
References
[1] http://www.mcmaster.ca/presidentsoffice/documents/Letter_Forward%20with%20Integrity_21Sep11.pdf
[2] https://academicimpact.un.org/content/principles
[3] http://u15.ca/what-we-are-saying/u15-group-canadian-research-universities-joins-global-network
OIA Summer Programs
NOTICE: Regarding 2021 OIA Summer Programs
As of January 2021, we hope to be able to offer in-person summer programs in 2021. This will of course be pending the loosening of travel restrictions and relevant university policies as the conditions of the pandemic evolve. Please be aware that we remain committed to offering our summer programs and we anticipate having online versions of our specialized summer programs available in the summer of 2021 if in-person programs are not possible. Please contact Ms. May Zhai (chenmay@mcmaster.ca) or Mr. Paul Leegsma (leegsmp@mcmaster.ca) for more information, or if you have any questions or concerns. Stay healthy!
The Office of International Affairs offers a variety of summer programs created to give you a sample of life, studies and research at McMaster University. We hope that our programs motivate you to pursue further studies or research collaboration with us in the future. You can find more information about our specific programs in the brochures below.
2021 Summer Intensive English Programs Brochure
マクマスター大学 – 夏期集中英語プログラム – 2021年度夏期| (Japanese)
2021麥克馬斯特大學英語夏令營(7月5日至8月2日) (Chinese)
2021 Specialized Summer Program with Entrepreneurship & Innovation focus
2021 Specialized Summer Program with eHealth focus
2021 Specialized Summer Program with Entrepreneurship & Innovation focus (Chinese)
2021 Specialized Summer Program with eHealth focus (Chinese)
Expandable List
Our Intensive English Summer Programs are designed for pre-university and university students abroad who would like to combine a high quality English language development program with an experience of Canadian culture. Classroom activities integrate listening, reading, speaking and writing skills at an appropriate level from beginner to advanced.
In addition to in-class ESL instruction, students will enjoy activities in small groups led by McMaster University students. These activities are both educational and fun, and help to apply and improve students’ language abilities while introducing them to different aspects of Canadian life. Activities range from organized sports events, to trips to major shopping centres, movie theatres and restaurants, where students will have many opportunities to practice their English in real-life settings.
Students will also have the opportunity to experience Canada’s beautiful outdoors with trips to places of special scenic interest such as the Royal Botanical Gardens. We will arrange trips to Niagara Falls, the CN Tower, the Royal Ontario Museum and other places of interest.
- 30 hours a week of language instruction (15 hours in class, 12.5 hours applied practice per week)
- highly qualified and experienced instructors
- small, friendly classes assure individual attention for students
- afternoon tutorials taught and facilitated by McMaster graduate students
- lessons include reading, writing, academic vocabulary and presentations
- welcome and graduation ceremony
- completion / achievement reports available upon arrangement
- accommodation on campus in university residence
- use of university facilities and services, including Wi-Fi
- visits to local historic and scenic sites
- full schedule of organized excursions and recreational activities (a three-day sight-seeing trip to Quebec/Thousand Islands, is an optional extra)
ESL Program | Dates | Fee (CAD) |
4 week | July 5 – August 2, 2020 | $4,200 |
3 week | July 12 – August 2, 2020 | $3,800 |
2 week | July 19 – August 2, 2020 | $3,300 |
OPTION: Eastern Canada Trip: (based on double occupancy) | $600 |
Program fees include: tuition, meal card (value varies by program), accommodation,
excursions, airport pick-up and drop-off, access to recreational facilities,
and university health insurance.
Payment Information: A non-refundable deposit of CAD$300.00 must accompany the
application form. The deposit should be in the form of a certified Bank Cheque or Money Order
payable to McMaster University. The balance must be paid one month before the beginning
of the program.
For information on current fees, please see the application form.
Specialized Summer Programs
We offer a variety of specialized programs for university students (undergraduate and graduate level) and faculty. These programs combine specialized instruction in subject areas in various fields of Health Sciences, Engineering, Humanities and Business with an optional English (ESL) & Cultural Immersion pre-course section. The program length can be customized from 1 to 4 weeks. Most programs are scheduled between the second week of July to the second week of August. Please be aware that although we may accept individual students for these programs, we typically create the programs to fit the needs of university student or faculty groups. We currently offer programs in e-Health, Entrepreneurship & Innovation and Problem-Based Learning (with Introduction to Evidence-Based Medicine). See further detail below.
If you have any questions after reading below, please don’t hesitate to contact us at oia@mcmaster.ca for more information or to discuss your customized program interests.
Expandable List
This popular program provides participants with an opportunity to learn essential concepts in Entrepreneurship and Innovation, including: Entrepreneurial Opportunity Identification, Leadership for Innovation, Enterprise Opportunity Development, and Business Launch and Development. The program culminates in a Start-up Pitch Competition which will provide awards to the 1st, 2nd, & 3rd place winners.
The pre-course section includes 1-2 weeks of intensive English practice with an emphasis on developing a strong foundation of English language skills relevant to entrepreneurship and innovation topics.
Participants should be current university students at the graduate or senior undergraduate level. Our programs are taught by expert McMaster faculty and the program is readily applicable to fields of engineering, design and business.
This program offers an intensive introduction to e-Health, including lectures and discussions on topics such as Health Research Methods, Health Policy, Health Economics, Public & Population Health, Health Informatics, Health Technology Assessment and Health Data Mining and applications for AI. The program culminates in each student developing a presentation of a process map which demonstrates their understating of e-Health concepts, specifically by detailed explanation of the role of selected e-health technologies in patient “care paths”.
The pre-course section includes 1-2 weeks of intensive English practice with an emphasis on developing a strong foundation of English language skills relevant to e-health and health policy.
Participating students should be at the graduate or senior undergraduate level in the health sciences, medical or related fields. The program is taught by a team of expert McMaster faculty from the fields of Health Sciences, Social Sciences and Business.
This programs offers a 1-2 week introduction to Problem-Based Learning (PBL), a globally adopted pedagogy for medical education first developed at McMaster University. It includes lectures and discussions on the concepts of PBL and its application in specific medical education contexts, such as perioperative outcomes. The program also includes an overview of current issues in medical education as well as an introduction to Evidence-Based Medicine (EBM).
This program is offered to professionals, educators and administrators in the health sciences. This program is taught by expert McMaster faculty from our world-renown Faculty of Health Sciences.