Welcoming Campus, Inclusive Community: Building Housing Infrastructure for International Students Symposium

Date: June 16, 2025
Time: 8:30 AM EDT - 4:00 PM EDT
Location: In person at Oakham Lounge, Oakham House, Toronto Metropolitan University, 63 Gould Street & Online
Open To: All, Free event

As part of the ongoing Bridging Divides Housing for International Students project led by Zhixi Zhuang, this one-day hybrid event brings together a dynamic mix of academics, policymakers, developers, and representatives from multiple sectors to discuss the housing precarity faced by international students in Canada.

Hosted by Bridging Divides Researcher Zhixi Zhuang (Toronto Metropolitan University), Employment and lifelong Learning Theme Co-Lead Rupa Banerjee (Toronto Metropolitan University), and Place and Infrastructure Co-Lead Sandeep Agrawal (University of Alberta).

Registration for this event is required. Coffee, tea and lunch will be provided.

Download the full program

Symposium Agenda
8:30-8:45 AM EDT	Registration and Coffee
8:45-9:00 AM EDT	Welcome, Land Acknowledgement, and Opening Remarks
9:00–10:00 AM EDT	Presentations and Q&A: Housing experiences of international students in Canada: Insights from the 2021 Census \| Feng Hou, Statistics Canada International students’ housing struggles and resilience in the GTA: Barriers, strategies, and impacts on wellbeing \| Bridging Divides Research Team: Zhixi Zhuang, Project Lead; Jack Krywulak, Research Assistant; and Mo (Mariam) El Toukhy, Project Manager (Toronto Metropolitan University) Comparing housing experiences of international and domestic students in Ontario and Alberta: Preliminary survey findings \| Bridging Divides Research Team: Rushde Akbar, Survey Analyst (Toronto Metropolitan University)
10:00–11:00 AM EDT	Panel 1: Exploring political, academic and public discourses: How does the housing crisis affect International Students? Facilitator: Anna Triandafyllidou, Toronto Metropolitan University Speakers: The Honourable Ratna Omidvar, Former Canadian Senator, Toronto Metropolitan University Marshia Akbar, Toronto Metropolitan University Sutama Ghosh, Toronto Metropolitan University Feven Haddish, Toronto Metropolitan University
11:00–11:15 AM EDT	Break
11:15 AM–12:15 PM EDT	Panel 2: Stakeholders’ roles in addressing the housing crisis and enhancing community inclusivity Facilitator: Sandeep Agrawal, University of Alberta Speakers: Amira El Masri, McMaster University Becky Shillington, Loyalist College Matthew Stein, HOEM Management Inc. Mercedeh Madani, City of Toronto
12:15–1:15 PM EDT	Buffet Lunch
1:15–2:15 PM EDT	Panel 3: The imperative of building equitable and inclusive housing infrastructure for international students Facilitator: Rupa Banerjee, Toronto Metropolitan University Speakers: Yolande Pottie-Sherman, Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador Rylan Kinnon, SpacesShared Ashmita Sandhu, University of Toronto Mehnaz Lamia, OCAD University Amir Moghadam, Canadian Federation of Students and University of Toronto Graduate Students’ Union
2:15–2:30 PM EDT	Break and Coffee
2:30–4:00 PM EDT	Round Tables: Collaborative reflection, discussion, and solution building
4:00–4:05 PM EDT	Closing remarks

Presented in collaboration with: