It was a celebration almost a year in the making when the Humber International Graduate School (IGS) recently held its official opening.

The school, which is located in downtown Toronto and brings students from around the world together to study and prepare for their careers, first welcomed students in January 2021.  

The Humber College community gathered at the Humber IGS on October 26 to mark the official opening and explore what the facility has to offer.

Quincy Vaz is enrolled in the Research Analyst graduate certificate program at the Humber IGS and is completing a co-op placement as a research trainee at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. She graduated from medical school in 2020 in India and worked during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic prior to coming to Canada.

She said that work placement was a factor in her decision to attend the Humber IGS, as was its location in downtown Toronto. She enrolled as a way to take her medical knowledge and use it to transition into clinical or health-care research and she said Humber has been “instrumental” in helping her do that.

“I feel like Humber has really helped me and supported my professional development and I’m genuinely grateful,” said Vaz.

Humber’s place as second research college in the country, according to Canada’s list of top 50 research colleges from Research Infosource Inc., also played a role in Vaz choosing Humber IGS.

Since it opened, the Humber IGS has had more than 2,000 students from more than 50 countries enrol in its 10 graduate certificate programs in business and technology.

The Humber IGS’ mission is to build a global community that inspires and delivers innovation in teaching and learning for international learners, industry and the local community. To achieve that, the design of the IGS emphasized innovative and flexible learning spaces, virtual connectivity, and support and service areas to create a welcoming and professional learning environment.

It also offers a highly specialized service delivery model to ensure that Humber’s international students receive access to support necessary for their success.  

The Humber IGS also has the Industry and Community Connector Hub (ICHub). It offers opportunities for students to develop career skills and job development through coaching, mentorship, networking and engagement events with industry, including campus recruitment, industry talks and networking events with professionals.

“Humber strongly believes that the experiences that international students bring make our college better,” said Humber College President and CEO Dr. Ann Marie Vaughan. “Humber is committed to educational excellence, and it is the college’s mission and vision to transform post-secondary education through global, polytechnic leadership and develop global citizens with the knowledge and skills to lead and innovate. The Humber IGS is a shining example of that vision and I’m excited to see what the future holds for our remarkable students who choose Humber for their post-secondary education.”

President Vaughan added that the Humber IGS, located in downtown Toronto, is also a hub for industry and community engagement as it provides opportunities to solve business challenges through collaboration amongst students, faculty members and industry. Gina Antonacci, senior vice-president, Academic at Humber, added that collaboration also allows the Humber IGS to deliver excellence in training and professional development.

Prior to the ribbon-cutting ceremony, guests had a chance to hear from IGS learners Mehar Aijaz, Miko Kohmaria, Vaz and Mehmet Kaan Madranefe about their experience as students at the IGS. Guests also got to mingle and chat while being treated to a music trio comprised of Humber fourth year Bachelor of Music students. Following the ceremony, they were invited to explore the facility on guided tours.