Columbia News

Apr 09
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EPP Students Visit Compass Group

By | EPPP | No Comments

Meet and Greet with Compass Group

The students from the Elite Pathway Partnership (EPP) Program proudly represented Columbia International College (CIC) last Wednesday, April 4th during a business visit to Compass Group: Chartwells.

The EPP students were fortunate enough to be greeted by the Senior Vice President of Sales, Ms. Nancy Zuccarelii, and the President of Chartwells, Mr. Ashton Sequeira.  With great hospitality they provided the students with an inside look to the head office, and introduced them to the behind the scenes of a global food service company.  This included meeting various departments such as: marketing, human resources, sales department, etc.

During the tour, the students were introduced to the CEO of Compass Group, Mr. Saajid Khan.  He informed the students of his vast experience in the food service industry, and his global contribution to Compass Group, via working in many different countries across the globe.  He used his multi-national experience to connect with our students, and took an interest in their diverse cultures and backgrounds.

After the tour, the EPP students had the opportunity to hear Mr. Sequeira speak about Chartwell’s commitment to the global community via their vast variety of global partners, provided a sneak peak to the latest technology in food service, explanation of their business model and vision, and future scholarships and job opportunities within the company.

A question and answer period with the Mr. Sequeira was immediately followed, where the students  asked the company pressing questions regarding food service, menu options, environmental sustainability, food waste, and proposed focus groups to ensure student satisfaction.

The EPP students should be extremely proud of themselves for displaying exceptional leadership and professionalism in front of business professionals.

Take a look at the pictures from the business tour!

Apr 02
0

CIC Students Shine at New York Model UN

By | News | No Comments

During Mar 16-18, Columbia International College delegates tried their hands at the Change the World Model United Nations (CWMUN) for the third consecutive year and displayed remarkable debating, presentation and conflict resolution skills throughout the simulations.

The three-day annual event held at the UN Headquarters in New York City attracted over 2,500 students from all around the world. Five CIC students were recognized for outstanding contributions in the committees and countries they represented:

  • Best Position Paper: Chi Weng Mou (Kimmy)
  • Honorable Mention: Zimu Zhao, Lecheng Zeng (Charlie), Karen-Olivia Kouame, Nandi Traore

“Upon entering the General Assembly Hall for opening ceremonies, the students expressed much excitement and willingness to resolve global issues, ” said Anthony Mattiacci, CIC’s Senior Activities Advisor overseeing the training program.

Since 2016, CIC students have participated in the CWMUN, stepping into shoes of UN ambassadors and debating major issues challenging the world.

The preparation seminars are also a great way to help students develop skills in leadership, research, public presentation and consensus building through negotiation.

CIC has received lots of positive feedback on our delegates’ accomplishments.  If you see the members of the Model U.N. Team, please congratulate them on their hard work and achievements at the conference.

Photos by Anthony Mattiacci

Feb 26
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Best Things To Do In March

By | Events | No Comments


March is coming! It could be warm and breezy today and bone-chilling tomorrow. So, we’d remind all the students to dress for the weather, eat well and keep fit. Aside form your regular routines, the Student Development Office is offering a slew of exciting activities in March – community service, sports, special meals, movies… Each day will be packed full of fun!

Mar 2nd (Fri):

Mapleview Shopping

Mar 3rd（Sat）：

30 Hour Famine

Mar 4th（Sun）：

  • Toronto Raptors
  • HSBC Chilly1/2 Marathon & Frosty 5K

March 5-6（Mon、Tue）：

March Orientation

March 7（Wed）：

ICS South America

March 10-12（Sat – Mon）：

  • Duke of Edinburgh at Bark Lake
  • Niagara Falls

March 12（Mon）：

Ontario Gleaners

March 12-16（Mon – Fri）：

March Break

March 15-20（Thu – Sun）：

Model UN trip in NYC

March 16-17（Fri、Sat）：

Wizard World

March 21（Wed）：

ICS Mexico lunch

March 23（Fri）：

Movie: Tomb Raider

March 24（Sat）：

Leadership Retreat

March 29（Thu）：

International Fashion Show

March 30（Fri）：

Good Friday Holiday

March 31（Sat）：

  • Royal Ontario Museum
  • Afro Fest
  • Buttons and Bows

Any questions, please visit the Student Development Office at S244.

Feb 23
0

Campus Tours Help With Your University Decisions

By | Events | No Comments

It’s late February now and university offers are arriving in a matter of just weeks! Many students will be facing a pleasant challenge: to pick one from multiple offers. In order to help them make the final choice, the University Placement Office (UPO) have arranged an array of university tours in March and April.

  • University of Ontario Institute of Technology，Saturday, March3，Sign up by Friday, February 23
  • Western University，Saturday, March 10，Sign up by Friday, March 2
  • University of Waterloo，Saturday, March 10，Sign up by Friday, March 2
  • University of Toronto (St. George Campus)，Saturday, March17，Sign up by Friday, March 9
  • University of Toronto (Scarborough Campus)，Saturday, March24，Sign up by Friday, March 16
  • York University，Saturday, March 24，Sign up by Friday, March 16
  • University of Toronto (Mississauga Campus)，Sunday, March 25，Sign up by Friday, March 16
  • University of Guelph，Sunday, March 25，Sign up by Friday, March 16
  • Brock University，Sunday, April 8，Sign up by Friday, March 30

Campus tour is a great way to explore your university and program options. Admission Officers and student ambassadors will be on site to give walking tours and get your questions answered one-on-one.

Ready to sign up?  For each tour, there’s a $10 fee to be paid at the College Store and you’re also required to sign up at the UPO.  There are limited spots for each tour, so register as early as possible. 

2017  University Tours Videos


University of Toronto, St. George Campus


McMaster University


York University

Feb 01
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Spirit Week Unites CIC Community

By | News | No Comments

Spirit week is back! This biannual tradition features four unique dress-up theme days: pajama, jersey, cultural and wacky. The fun starts every morning before class. You can play hilarious games that will add some excitement to your day.

Students and teachers as well are getting dressed in probably the most outlandish outfits or dazzling costumes you’ve ever seen. Most importantly, be creative and show off your unique identity!

CIC is a community of 1800 students from over 70 countries. Spirit Week provides a great opportunity to foster cultural confidence and advocate inclusiveness on the campus. For more information, please contact the Student Development Office.

Spirit Week Photo Galleries:

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Jan 23
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Columbia Acknowledged for Ensuring Student Safety and Wellness

By | News | No Comments


On January 13th, 2018, the Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China in Toronto held a forum on Chinese students’ safety and wellness in Canada. Columbia International College, The University of Toronto, and a select educational associations were acknowledged for their tremendous contributions to ensure students’ overall health and safety.


Zhuang Yaodong, the acting Chinese Consul General in Toronto, said there are 80,000 Chinese students in Ontario and Manitoba and some have encountered safety and mental health issues.

He cautioned that 2017 saw a rise in scams targeting Chinese students and many victims have suffered economic losses and psychological impact.


Mr. Clement Chan (right) , Executive Director of Columbia Intentional College, received a Letter of Acknowledgement from Mr. Zhuang and delivered an address on how Columbia has been helping numerous young students grow up in a safe and healthy environment since 1979.

Mr. Chan said: “Different from domestic students, international students do not have a home to return to after school. Therefore, schools which offer only academic programs are not providing sufficient services to care for them.”


“Remember, the young students are not coming to Canada just to study, they are here to grow up with us. ”

Mr. Chan stressed that young students need support and guidance in a holistic way — caring services to support their Academic, Social, Emotional and Physical (ASEP) needs.

Columbia has been looking after students with its unique ASEP Total Care Education System® for almost 40 years. It has grown to become North America’s largest boarding high school.

Jan 16
3

How I Scored 9.0 in IELTS Listening and Reading?

By | Top Achievers | No Comments

“Relax and don’t stress out” – it’s a simple but useful exam tip from Justin Wong, a Grade 12 student at Columbia International College who scored Band 9 in both Listening and Reading in his first IELTS attempt in Dec 2017. He spent a total of two days preparing for the exam and achieved a whopping overall Band of 8.5.

“For listening and writing, I watched  YouTube videos and reviewed some past exam questions.” Justin said. “I didn’t practice for writing. The most important thing is the structure – don’t go off topic.”

Justin left Hong Kong at age 14 and entered Grade 10 at Columbia. “I learned English under Hong Kong’s IGCSE system.” He said. “But 90% of the time we spoke Cantonese. ”

He describes Columbia as a great place to mingle with students from different countries in class, sports, community services, cultural events and so on.

“Only 10% of my friends are from Hong Kong and that helps with my English.”

Justine believes time management is vital in achieving a balanced life style. He usually finishes most of the school work before going back to the residence and spends the evening working out in gym, hanging out with friends or peer tutoring fellow students.

Justin is graduating in May 2018 and he hopes to study business in university.

Dec 01
2

University Visits at CIC

By | News, University Visits | No Comments

University Visits

CIC was honored to have an array of Universities visit the campus this past month.  The Universities had the opportunity to meet potential students, and share important information about their campuses and student life.

On behalf of Columbia International College, we would like to share our deepest thanks and gratitude to the Universities below: Click on the name of your preferred University for additional information!

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