Displaced students from Ukraine invited to summer program at UTM
University of Toronto Mississauga is bridging access to higher education for those students whose studies have been disrupted by the war in Ukraine.
The Summer Program for Students from Ukraine will offer undergraduates from Ukrainian universities the opportunity to study and live at UTM for four months, May through August 2022.
“These students are facing so many challenges, and we don’t want the loss of their education to be another,” says UTM’s Vice-Principal, Academic and Dean Rhonda McEwen, noting similar assistance was recently extended to students displaced by unrest in Syria and Afghanistan.
“The university has several initiatives in place to support out-of-country international students at risk, and we will continue to look for ways to help these students, and those from other countries, stay on track despite the terrible hardships they are enduring at home.”
This summer program is coordinated by the Office of the Dean with support from the Office of the Registrar, International Education Centre, Student Housing and Residence Life and other Student Affairs and Services departments.
It is open to citizens of all countries who were enrolled in a Ukrainian university for the Fall 2021-Spring 2022 academic year. The program, which is being provided at no cost to eligible candidates, includes in-person academic experience, on-campus housing, a stipend and all round-trip travel costs.
Veronica Vasquez, director of the IEC, says they are expecting 20 students, who will take part in a range of courses based on their field’s requirements, although participating in this summer program is not considered admission to the University of Toronto for degree studies.
Organizers say they won’t be basing admission just on grades, but also on other strengths such as research experience. Candidates are expected to be able to follow courses in English, and to write a short personal statement. Those accepted will also be asked to provide a resume, transcripts and a letter of recommendation.
Applicants who are Ukrainian citizens may be able to obtain a visa through the Canada-Ukraine authorization for emergency travel (CUAET) program, announced by the Canadian government in March. CUAET is granting Ukrainians a temporary stay to work or study in Canada until it is safe to return to Ukraine.
More information
- U of T to welcome students and faculty from Ukraine amid ongoing war
- Summer Program for Students from Ukraine
- U of T Mississauga Refugee Pathway