McGill’s Inaugural Global Engagement Forum brought to the fore the University’s enduring identity as a locally anchored institution that has, for centuries, connected people, ideas and communities around the world.
More concretely, Professor Anja Geitmann, Vice-President (Global Engagement), launched two initiatives at the event that signal a renewed commitment to advancing knowledge and co-operation, together with partners worldwide:
The Global Engagement Strategic Framework 2026–2031 is designed to align faculty-driven global initiatives around shared values of excellence, equity, sustainability and recognition of Indigenous knowledge systems.
The McGill Global Engagement Strategic Initiatives Fund will provide support for faculty-led international initiatives with the potential to scale and deepen impact. It is made possible by Ram Panda, former Chair of McGill’s Board of Governors.
The Forum, held April 22 on the downtown campus and hosted by the Office of Global Engagement, brought together scholars, diplomats and institutional leaders with the theme Global Engagement as a Driver of International Co-operation. Welcoming over 100 participants, including 30 members of the diplomatic corps representing 16 countries, the gathering affirmed McGill’s commitment to advancing collaboration, dialogue and shared solutions to global challenges.
Graham Barber, Director of Global Engagement, opened the event with the acknowledgment of McGill’s setting on a territory that has long been a place of meeting and exchange for many First Nations and now also is a place where the peoples of the world gather. That emphasis on connection set the tone for an event focused on meaningful engagement, respect and sustained relationship-building.
Extending this commitment to connection, Geitmann underscored the unique responsibility of universities in today’s world.
“Universities are being called not only to produce knowledge, but to convene, to connect, and to collaborate across borders in ways that are purposeful, reciprocal and oriented toward the public good,” she said.
Members of the diplomatic corps shared perspectives before introducing McGill experts whose work illustrates the University’s impact around the world.
Muhsin Syihab, Ambassador of Indonesia to Canada, spoke to more than 50 years of collaboration between McGill and Indonesia, calling it “a lived history of fellowship, joint research and thousands of Indonesian professionals whose careers were shaped in part right here in Montreal.” Reflecting on the newly announced UAE–Indonesia Future Leaders Program, he emphasized that “this is exactly the kind of follow-through that turns diplomatic words into tangible results,” and encouraged the Forum to serve as “a genuine catalyst for deepening partnership in the Indo-Pacific and Southeast Asia.”
Professor Vivek Venkatesh, Dean of the Faculty of Education, expanded on the initiative’s focus on national capacity-building in education, health, sustainability and engineering.
The project also reinforced the importance of cross‑regional partnership, highlighting the leadership role and engagement of the United Arab Emirates in supporting collaborative work in Indonesia.
Professor Dora Francisca Edu-Buandoh, High Commissioner of Ghana to Canada, highlighted the Nkabom Collaborative, noting that nkabom means unity and togetherness in the Akan language of Ghana.
“These are not just goals,” she said of long-term, community-anchored collaboration. “They are personal choices that determine whether collaboration is transactional or transformational.”
Pierre Brunache Jr., Director of the Nkabom Collaborative Secretariat, emphasized that impact emerges through genuine relationships: strengthening institutions, creating opportunities, and learning alongside partners as equals.
From the High Commission of India, First Secretary Tarun Kumar introduced Professor Madhukar Pai, whose work reflects decades of India–Canada collaboration in global health. Pai spoke about ethical responsibility, noting that “elite, privileged Global North universities… absolutely owe something to the rest of the world,” adding that education and long-term partnerships are among the most powerful ways to give back.
Representing the Consulate General of France in Quebec City, science attaché Nicolas Douay introduced Professor Laurent Mydlarski, Co-Director of the Bachelor of Global Engineering. The program, developed in collaboration with CentraleSupélec, prepares students to work across cultures, disciplines and societal contexts.
Moderated by Professor Sonia Laszlo, Associate Dean (Research and EDI) (Arts), the ensuing panel explored how humility, local listening and institutional commitment allow global partnerships to endure. The discussion reinforced a shared conviction: collaboration rooted in trust and reciprocity can advance knowledge while improving lives.