Map the System
Overview
Map the System will not be offered at TMU for the 2023-2024 academic year.
Please note that the University of Oxford has paused Map the System for the 2023-2024 academic year to evaluate the curriculum, resources, and program. We are expecting to resume Map the System in September 2024.
Map the System (MTS) supports students in studying and researching a complex social, environmental, or economic issue through skill-building workshops, demonstrations, and mentorship. Students choose a research interest, develop their research skills through systems thinking, and are guided in creating a report and visual map to communicate their learning.
MTS is an international initiative led by the University of Oxford, and TMU has been a participating institution since 2016. Students who register in MTS will have access to a broad learning community and network. Students will receive resources from both TMU and the University of Oxford throughout the program.
One submission from TMU will be selected to present at a national competition (external link) . At that level, three submissions from across Canada will be selected to present at the international competition (external link) hosted by the University of Oxford.
After completing the program, participants from TMU can apply for funding to further their research through Apprenticing with a Problem.
"Go into Map the System with an open mind, leave your preconceptions and biases at the door! The intention is to map a system - it’s not to look at a particular issue with the background knowledge that you already have."
This program is available to all students enrolled in a part-time or full-time academic program. This includes undergraduate students, graduate students, and continuing education students who are enrolled in credit-bearing courses. This program is also available to recent alumni who have graduated within the past year.
Participants can register as an individual or as a team (up to five members). As an individual, the participant must meet the above eligibility criteria. As a team, only one participant must meet the above eligibility criteria (i.e., other team members do not need to be current students or recent alumni, or have any affiliation to the university).
Map the System 2023 is now closed.
| Date | Activity |
| Nov 15, 2022 | Student Registration Opens |
| Jan 31, 2023 | Deadline for Student Registration |
| April 4, 2023 | Deadline for Final Submissions |
| May 10-12, 2023 | National Semi-Final Competition |
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Map the System 2023
The finalists for Map the System 2023 were Dana Cramer and Kevin Hudes, with their project The Wireless Crisis.
Map the System Student Showcase
Review the submissions from our Map the System 2020 student showcase!
Map the System 2018
The finalists for MTS 2018 were Aalokita Singla, Gursewak Singh, and Haifa Al Harz, with their project From Farm to Fork to Landfill: Food Waste in Toronto.
Map the System 2020
The finalists for Map the System 2020 were Crystal Fung, Sahil Parikh, and Piotr Zulauf, with their project The Crisis of Affordable Rental Housing in Toronto.
Map the System 2019
The finalists for Map the System 2019 were Hansel Igbavboa and Sheldomar Elliott, with their project Future Farmers: The challenge of food sovereignty for black farmers in the Greater Toronto Area.