Yesterday a City of Minerals,Yet Today Its Culture Stands Out Interview with Dr. Robert Haché, President of Laurentian University of Canada

ZhangYing　LiuWeizhenping

“How do you dream of your overseas campus life？”

To this question， each international student and prospective ones have their own answers. Some people like to be lively and yearn for a prosperous life in cities; others choose to study in a smaller institution. All choices are based on personal preferences. However， due to cultural differences， a lot of Chinese students are confused about the phrase “small city” when they see it in a schools profile. Is the infrastructure adequate？ Do extracurricular activities provide a good cultural experience？ Finally， the most important one， is the school really a good university？ Many students believe that it is better to choose a larger city with a well-known public post-secondary institution than a smaller city with lesser-known universities.? Information found on the internet can present barriers for prospective students when it comes to choosing the right institution.???? With questions in mind， Studying Abroad Magazine interviewed Dr. Robert Haché， the President of Laurentian University， located in Sudbury， Canada. The new President， who just took office in July 2019， has justified the name “small city”， confirming that compared to major urban centers in Canada，? the city is smaller， but it is no less.

Finding “the real Canada” in Sudbury

In the interview， Dr. Haché used the phrase to describe the University， “Laurentian University is a microcosm of Canada as we represent a “True Canadian Experience”.

Behind this sentence is confidence in Laurentian University. Laurentian University is located in Sudbury， Ontario， Canada. It is a bilingual campus with the mixture of British and French cultures. As located in the heart of Ontario， Sudbury is the largest city among northern area of the Greater Toronto Area and cities of Northern Immigration Pilot. Therefor here lies one of the four national tax centres. Transcontinental highways and airlines pass through here， connecting Toronto， Montreal and Ottawa.

At either national or local level， the mining industry is a core piece to complete Canadas economic and social structure. In this country， more than 600，000 people work directly or indirectly in mining-related jobs， and 3.6% of Canadas GDP is related to mining. The Sudbury Basin is located on the southern edge of the worlds largest and best exposed meteorite impact point. It is the worlds largest underground mining complex. It is rich in nickel， copper， gold， chromium and other metals. Thanks to this， Sudbury， a city started up from the camp of railway construction workers in the nineteenth century， developed on the basis of mining.

Mining projects in the city are supported in depth by Laurentians research and teaching expertise， as well as a strong network of more than 1，000 mining service companies， most of which have deep collaboration with Laurentian University.

Although Sudbury is a mining city for sure， it is not even close to peoples stereotype. The city constantly transforms its development methods along with excellent land reclamation plans and ongoing projects of environmental restoration of industrial landscape. With extensive research in biomining， bioremediation and biotechnology， it is expected to stabilize mine waste and reduce environmental effect， which has been appreciated by the United Nations. Sudbury has now completed his magnificent turn from a mining base to a beautiful and vibrant centre of transportation， science and culture， becoming the top Canadian “Happiest Cities”.

Profound technology accumulation established the worlds leading mining university

Sudburys education resources are also abundant. In this city of only 100，000 people， here are all the world-renowned institutions including private， public and Catholic schools from the basic education to higher education.

“There are many benefits for students who choose to live in Sudbury as we have a low cost of living and a very safe city with clean air.” Robert Haché said that Laurentian University is the first bilingual university designated in accordance with the French language service law in Ontario. The 750-acre expansive beautiful campus is surrounded by 5 natural lakes and hiking trails. The community is safe and hospitable. Students from 62 countries around the world are allowed to choose and apply 175 professional courses covering undergraduate， postgraduate and doctoral degrees， as well as generous scholarship programs. The university has the highest post-graduation employment rates and the second highest average salary after graduation of all 21 universities in Ontario. The vast majority of students are able to find a satisfied job within six months after graduation.

Sudburys extremely unique geographical location and industrial development history have also contributed to the significant advantages of Laurentian University in the fields of geosciences， engineering and environment. Robert Haché told Studying Abroad Magazine reporter， “ Our institution is well known for our academic and research centres such as the Goodman School of Mines， Vale Living with Lakes Centre， Harquail School of Earth Sciences and many others.” Sudburys deep mining industry experience and technology accumulation， as well as a wide range of high-end talent needs and a broad market， are still valuable assets of Laurentian University， as well as the driving force and vitality of the universitys development and progress.

As Robert Haché said， since its establishment in 1960， Laurentian University has been widely recognized in the fields of mining engineering and metallurgical refining engineering. Recently the university has participated in several ongoing projects such as NORISLK mine rehabilitation in Russia， continuous collaboration with Ivanhoe Mines and Limpopo University， and safety training of mining production for governmental and industrial managers from China. In September 2016， the Mineral Exploration Research Center （MERC）， a research institution of the Haguire Academy of Earth Sciences， received Canadian government funding of C$ 49 million for a C$ 104 million Metal Earth project. “ This project is one of the worlds largest mineral exploration projects. It will last seven years and aims to reduce the risk of investment in mining exploration in Canada and abroad. It will also bring new directions for the schools research prospects and students subject.”

However， unlike what in peoples impression， hard-core and specialized majors， such as geological exploration and engineering， are no longer the only ones in the university. The study of the mining industry has gradually developed into various branch fields due to the deep connection between the world and the industry. Relevant professional courses include earth sciences， environmental studies， restoration biology， as well as business management， aboriginal studies， linguistics and many other promising disciplines in the mining industry and derivative industries. Professional advantages extend to the entire mining cycle， such as exploration， occupational safety and health， ecological and environmental restoration， etc. Around 9，000 out of more than 60，000 alumni are engaged in mining-related disciplines. Students can find their own world， whether they are gifted in arts， science or engineering.

It is worth mentioning that Laurentian University also takes a place in cutting-edge scientific research. Robert Haché mentioned in the interview， “The worlds top laboratory， SNOLAB （Sudbury Neutrino Observatory， specializing in neutrino and dark matter physics）， 2，316 meters underground， is located in Sudbury， cooperating with our university. The director of the laboratory， Dr. Arthur McDonald， won the 2015 Nobel Prize in Physics. “

Multiple assessments and innovative systems to support students autonomous learning

In todays rank list of world-renowned universities， the criteria for a school may be the campus facilities and academic research results. But for the students in the university， the schools philosophy and atmosphere matter most. Facing questions from our reporters， Robert Haché is quite confident in Laurentian University.

Students in todays world are in a special era. They have unprecedented opportunities to acquire knowledge. And at the same time， the expectations of the education system have greatly increased.” More opportunities come with more challenges. Acquiring rich academic research experience， as innovative leaders and scientists with profession footprints across Canada， Robert Haché has a unique understanding of the academic and educational fields. He believes that students are required to do more than their predecessors， and they need to learn mastering all kinds of complex information. In such environment， students must acquire skills of promoting critical and creative thinking， turning experience into innovation thoughts. Therefore， Robert Haché hopes that students can learn to analyze autonomously and make key decisions for themselves.

When our reporters asked about “how to evaluate students，” Robert Haché described the schools various teaching evaluations as “diverse， modern”. Robert Haché said that when he came to Sudbury from Toronto， he saw the universitys potential and actively academic spirit. The education system of Laurentian University is also embodying such an educational philosophy， which promotes students learning and exercises their thinking with practical actions.

“Our assessment methods are diverse and modern as we rely on a balance of in-class assessments such as presentations， written exams and discussions， as well as online assessments such as tests and projects. Laurentian students benefit from enhanced leadership development and experiential learning across the institution， in community and industry settings. For example， our students in Nursing and Continuing Education have the opportunity to complete more hours of on-site training than nearly all other universities in the province. We are also proud of the many hours of placement that our students in the Northern Ontario School of Medicine pursue throughout their education towards becoming medical doctors.”

“Small classes” is also one of the characteristics of Laurentian University. According to Robert Haché， “The average class size of only 24 students allows our faculty members to play an important role in supporting our students. Further， we also have staff members responsible for enabling students to pursue experiential learning experiences.”

Education has always been a priority for .Robert Hachés life. His four children obtained a total of ten university degrees， with many of these being at the graduate level. In his view， education is not only the responsibility of the school and the teacher. Education has always been a top priority in every family. “My four children have received higher education and each has completed a degree in a different field. Every child can find areas of their own interest through our education system. “

As with his home education philosophy， Robert Haché believes that students interests also share an important role in discovering and working in ones favorite area. “Academic success comes from the inner mind. I encourage students to explore topics they are interested in and work on topics they love. It may take time to find passion， but success comes from curiosity and persistence in goals.”

Educational theory is not Hanging Garden of Babylon. Educational systems must be effective enough to truly allow students to enjoy advanced concepts. Laurentian University uses practical student services and academic support systems to help students， so that they can get more out of exploring their interests and studying. “We have a powerful academic support system. Students have opportunities to get academic consultants， counseling and career advice. In addition， we also have staffs that are responsible for students to pursue experiential learning progress， such as direct participation in large-scale projects of enterprises， internships and collaboration opportunities， “said Robert Haché.

3-year work permits for the graduates

For international students who are learning and living in a foreign country， they will be homesick more or less， and they are facing unfamiliar environment and uncertain futures， especially when the school is located in a place that was not familiar enough. This feeling may be stronger in an unheard city to Chinese citizens.

However， when studying at Laurentian University， the sense of helplessness of international students will be greatly reduced， because in this university， you are able to see faces from all over the world， including your fellow citizens. “Chinese students at Laurentian University account for 40% of our total international students. The Chinese Student Association is their representative organization and they are very active in various campus activities， including skiing， ice skating， and visiting various places of interest in Canada. Wait. “Robert Haché introduced to Studying Abraod Magazine.

For the graduates， Laurentian University is also committed to reducing the risks and uncertainties of their future. The school has a services office for international students， which provides a full range of guidance from before leaving the country to assisting with work visa and employment guidance after graduation. As the government-appointed learning institution of the Canadian government， graduates are eligible for a 3-year Post-Graduation Work Permit （PGWP） to work in any region of Canada.

If students choose to work in Sudbury after graduation， they will also benefit from immigration programs such as the Quick Entry Immigration Program， the Ontario Immigration Nomination Program （OINP）， and the Rural and Northern Entry Pilot Program.” In the future， Robert Haché has not forgotten to “retain talent” for Sudbury， hoping that students can work and live in Sudbury， the city with infinite possibilities.

At the same time， Laurentian University is also actively cooperating with Chinese universities， providing more opportunities for exchanges of higher education between countries and further education of students. In recent years， to build bridges for relevant professionals in China and Canada， and to promote industrial development in both countries， the school and Northeastern University have jointly established the China Canada Centre for Deep Mining Innovation （CCCDMI），and jointly organized the “2019 Mining Summer Camp” with Xian University of Science and Technology， etc.

“This is a great place for your kids. They will be well taken care of， and they will have a wealth of opportunities. We will also urge them to explore their academic limits and let them reach their full potential.” At the end of the interview， Robert Haché responded to all Chinese parents question “Why come to Laurentian University？”