23rd September 2021

At York University, our mission is to provide a broad demographic of students with access to a high-quality, research-intensive university committed to the public good. Our community approaches sustainability through a holistic lens of curriculum, research, innovation, and knowledge mobilization, underscored by our desire to build a safer and more sustainable and inclusive future.

At York, sustainability is one of the foundations of our University Academic Plan 2020–2025: Building a Better Future, and it is embedded within all six of our priorities for action as part of our commitment to strengthening our impact on the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Together, the University Academic Plan and our Sustainability Strategy serve to highlight our collaborative approach with cross-sector partners to addressing complex global issues that have far-reaching effects — from climate change, to poverty, to inequities in education and public health, to decolonization and reconciliation with our Indigenous communities.

Many initiatives being undertaken at York continue to enhance sustainability in both local and international communities. Through our new CIFAL centre, CIFAL York, we are bringing leaders from not-for-profits, industry, and all levels of government together with researchers and educators to address central issues in the areas of sustainable development, disaster and emergency management, diversity and inclusion, economic development, global health, and entrepreneurship. Our partnership with two universities in Kenya has made access to higher education in refugee camps in Dadaab, Kenya possible through the Borderless Higher Education for Refugees Project. And, through the innovative use of our campus operations, grounds, and buildings as “living labs” — including the groundbreaking Las Nubes Project at our EcoCampus in Costa Rica — we are providing our students with valuable experiential learning opportunities related to ecology, sustainability, indigenous education, arts, health, and conservation.

Higher education has long been a force for cross-national and cross-cultural exchange, but as a result of factors including geopolitical tensions, economic strains, climate change concerns, and systematic racism, access to mobility programs and international networks has not always been equitable. The Sustainable and Inclusive Internationalization Virtual Conference is one of the many ways that York is responding to the wider call for higher education institutions to take up the UN SDGs— serving as an accessible platform for scholars, international mobility professionals and practitioners, policymakers, sustainability experts, and interested stakeholders to address vital questions around the themes of sustainability, inclusivity, and innovation in international higher education.

We know that our success in affecting the kind of systemic changes necessary to build inclusive, equitable, and ethical global engagement relies on our ability to enhance multi-sector collaborations and internationalization strategies. And so I am profoundly grateful for your interest and enthusiasm in supporting our efforts, and look forward to continuing to work together with all of this year’s participants to address the complex issues identified in the SDGs, and to right the future.

Sincerely,

Rhonda Lenton

President & Vice-Chancellor

York University