From Toronto to New York City: The Creative School leads global learning with an enterprise and export-focused NYC Hub

From the bustling streets of London, England to the rolling Tuscan hills of Cortona, Italy, The Creative School’s roster of international opportunities (opens in new window)  have become a cornerstone of global innovation, preparing students for careers on the world stage. Now, the faculty is setting its sights on the city that never sleeps with the launch of an immersive program in the heart of New York City (opens in new window) , where students learned to not only survive but thrive in their creative careers.

A hub for global creativity and innovation

Set in one of the world’s most dynamic cultural hubs, New York City attracts many of the world’s leading creatives across media, design, technology, and the arts, where students get the opportunity to learn directly from creative professionals living and working in the city. 

The international program (opens in new window) –which completed its inaugural year earlier in May–offered a one-of-a-kind educational experience that put students at the center of New York’s creative enterprise. By immersing all 70 students in the city’s fast-paced creative industries, the program bridges the gap between classroom learning and real-world experience, building the skills and connections that fuel success in an increasingly global economy.

“Bringing our students to New York, a city that once inspired my own journey, was a full-circle moment. The New York Hub reflects what The Creative School stands for: global connection, creative enterprise and leadership, and empowering the next generation,” says Charles Falzon, Dean, The Creative School, TMU.

A city brimming with creative potential

Over the course of the program, students engaged in transdisciplinary and disciplinary sessions with industry professionals (opens in new window) —ranging from media giants like Condé Nast (external link, opens in new window)  and Omnicom Group (external link)  to cultural and design institutions such as Porto Rocha (external link, opens in new window) , The Metropolitan Opera (external link, opens in new window) , Scholastic (external link)  and Yabu Pushelberg (external link) . From discipline specific workshops on television, radio, and film to transdisciplinary panels and networking events hosted by leading creative firms, students explored diverse career paths and gained firsthand insights into the fast paced New York creative enterprise. 

With programming that spans brand management, distribution, storytelling, sustainability, and design, the experience offers an unparalleled opportunity to learn from industry leaders and gain a better understanding of the complex forces shaping the global creative economy. And as Associate Director, Communications and International Development, Sadia Kamran explains, the city itself becomes a classroom, with knowledge that can’t be replicated anywhere else.

“For students, this kind of hands-on experience is expansive and life-changing,” says Kamran. “It gives them a front row seat to the creative process, helping them understand how ideas turn into projects, and how they, too, can shape the future of these industries. What they gain here isn’t just technical skills, but a deep sense of how creative industries, enterprise and entrepreneurship operate on a global scale.”

This isn’t The Creative School’s first step into the global spotlight (opens in new window) . Building on previous international collaborations and partnerships, the NYC program cements the faculty's position as a global powerhouse for creative education. With the combined efforts of the leadership team–Charles Falzon, Joseph Medaglia, Sadia Kamran, and Michael Bergmann–the inaugural program was a successful, unforgettable, hands-on learning experience in the heart of New York City.

The Creative School at Toronto Metropolitan University

The Creative School is a dynamic faculty that is making a difference in new, unexplored ways. Made up of Canada’s top professional schools and transdisciplinary hubs in media, communication, design and cultural industries, The Creative School offers students an unparalleled global experience in the heart of downtown Toronto.