The International Development Institute celebrates the people, partnerships, and shared commitment behind our work to strengthen technical and vocational education and training (TVET) systems and promote inclusive, equitable skills development worldwide.

From strengthening TVET systems to advancing gender equality and disability inclusion, this year’s milestones were achieved through collective effort and meaningful cross-cultural collaboration. Through international reform projects, Humber Polytechnic continues to strengthen partnerships that support inclusive, labour market–responsive skills development.

Watch the Bhutan Education and Skills Training (BEST) project video to learn how these collaborations are equipping graduates in Bhutan with the knowledge and skills needed to meet labour market demands.

For more information and to get involved, contact:

Vidushi Sanghadia
International Development Project Lead
vidushi.sanghadia@humber.ca

As another remarkable year draws to a close, we're filled with gratitude for the community of students, partners, and collaborators who joined us in advancing health innovation.

This year has been marked by strong partnerships and wonderful student-led initiatives that include:

Health Innovation Challenge: Interdisciplinary student teams designed innovative solutions to support newcomer mental health. The works was recognized and featured in a community report shared with settlement organizations in the community.

Design Sprint: In collaboration with the Humber and Guelph Humber Library, student teams designed a new vision for wellness space at the library to support their holistic well‑being.

Innovation in Curriculum: Students from Bachelor of Behavioural Sciences program developed dementia‑related policy recommendations and solutions addressing caregiver burnout, medication adherence, and culturally responsive care.

Health Tech and Classroom Learning: In collaboration with the Barrett Centre for Technology Innovation (BCTI), and Electronics Engineering Technology students, student teams designed and built a healthcare‑focused physical prototype informed by user perspectives on design, safety, and ergonomics.

Inter-professional Learning: Students from Interior Design, Fire, and Paramedic programs collaborated on an “Aging in Place” project integrating home safety, emergency response, and accessibility.

Innovative Community Campaign: Practical Nursing students created culturally sensitive campaigns addressing the impact of social determinants on mental health and diabetes prevention/management in North Etobicoke.

Our Applied Research portfolio expanded significantly this year and included:

CCSIF (NSERC FUNDED) project - The Impact of Precarious Employment on the Mental Health of International Students​: The project had more than 200 students participating in the quantitative phase of CCSIF-funded study — our largest research engagement to date.

Enhancing Type 2 Diabetes Prevention Among Young Adults in Peel: Mapping and Understanding Access to Physical Activity and Nutritional Supports​: Through this multi-institutional Catalyst Grant project (Humber, Sheridan and University of Toronto), we investigated the intersection of Type 2 Diabetes and food deserts in Peel Region, bringing a social determinants lens to a pressing local health issue.

Health Tech Project in collaboration with Klick Labs- Investigation of the Feasibility and Impact of Voice-Based Detection of Prediabetes in the South Asian Population: A research study at Humber involving more than 175 students. A peer-reviewed article was published in Frontiers in Clinical Diabetes and Healthcare summarizing the data analysis and Humber's contribution to the project.

Understanding the Impact of Unpaid Caregiving on the Mental ​Health and Well-being of Black Women in the Greater Toronto Area​: We completed our important work on understanding the impact of unpaid caregiving on Black women's mental health, contributing vital insights to conversations about equity in healthcare.

Our Community Engagement and Partnerships include collaborating with more than 10-20 community organizations in North Etobicoke. We are designing, developing, and delivering mental health literacy workshops in the community, creating spaces for dialogue to strengthen mental health awareness and resiliency for more than 200 youth and 100 caregivers in our community.

Looking ahead to the new year, we're energized by the momentum we've built and the relationships we've strengthened. Thank you for being part of our journey in advancing innovation and building a healthier tomorrow for all in our community.

Wishing you joy, rest, and warm connection with family and friends this holiday season.

Best wishes,

Dr. Vanita Varma
Director, Centre for Innovation in Health & Wellness

We are excited to share the Fall 2025 edition of the FLAS Connect Newsletter!

Check out the latest community and student highlights, including articles such as “Highlights from the FLAS Forward Together Symposium 2025”, "Humber Students Place in Top Six at Oxford’s Global Map the System Finals," “Opening Doors to Engineering and Applied Sciences,” and “FLAS Grab’ n Go Foodbank Team Honoured with President’s Extra Mile Award."

Don’t miss contributions from our FLAS students, such as “From Toronto to Taiwan: My Journey Completing My Internship Award” and our section, “Educators Making a Difference,” where we highlight the inspiring work and contributions of our faculty.

We hope you enjoy reading about the great initiatives and stories happening across FLAS.

Happy reading!

Please submit your nominations by January 23, 2026, to be considered for Spring 2026 Convocation

An honorary degree is the highest honour conferred by Humber Polytechnic. The Institution may wish to award honorary degrees to recognize extraordinary individuals who have achieved significant accomplishments or have made an outstanding impact or contribution to Humber Polytechnic, their profession or discipline, the community, or society in Canada or elsewhere in the world. Honorary degree recipients reflect the Institution’s values, mission and vision, and they inspire and serve as role models to students, graduates, and the community.

Nominee submissions:

Nominations will be accepted via an online form. For future reference, this form can be accessed from the Honours & Awards page on the Humber Advancement and Alumni site.

Applications received by January 23, 2026, will be adjudicated and considered for presentation at a 2026 convocation ceremony (Spring or Fall) and/or in the future, depending on the number of approved candidates.

Eligibility Information:

Honorary Degrees recognize individuals who have distinguished themselves through their professional careers or who have made outstanding contributions to Humber Polytechnic, the community or society more broadly.

The Honorary Degree Selection Committee endeavours to ensure, through its recommendations for nominees, that it reflects the diversity of Canadian society and represents the wider community in which Humber plays an integral role. As such, it welcomes nominations that represent a diverse pool of candidates so that it may consider diversity in all of its dimensions.

Nominees may be members of the public, including alumni, former employees, former members of the Board of Governors, former volunteers, former public officials, or others. Nominations of individuals in the following categories are not eligible and will not be considered until a minimum of one year has passed following active service:

• Active Humber employees,
• Active members of the Humber Board of Governors,
• Active politicians,
• Active Program Advisory Committee members,
• Current students

Posthumous honorary degrees shall not normally be considered.

Confidentiality is to be maintained throughout the nomination and selection process. Nominators must keep the nomination confidential, including with the potential nominee.

For further questions about the nomination process, please contact: honorary.credential@humber.ca.