Discussion with University professors in Canada

Mr. Nardev Pandey (Director, Internship Nepal) set out on a two-week long trip to Canada this past month on 22nd of September, 2016.

International affairs advisor, Asia & Pacific at the University of Montreal, Stephanie Talliez’s crucial assistance in arrangement of meetings and appointments was of vital help, so was Professor Guillermo Aureano’s wonderful companionship as it has always been. Professor Guillermo has already been to Nepal a year ago; he’d even spent some time with Internship Nepal crew members.

Though the intention was to visit as many departments on a broader scale as possible, the busy schedule at the university wouldn’t show mercy. Mr. Pandey demonstrated his power-point presentations, in the gracious presence of different directors and professors of respective departments. Meetings with five faculties were arranged at last- Medicine, Nursing, Theology, Anthropology and Industrial Relations. 

On 23rd of September, a meeting was arranged with Professor Dimitrova from Department of Theology. Since Nepal boasts an extremely proud prehistoric civilization and plenty of temples, pilgrimages, it has always been a perfect destination for religious studies. On 27th of September, Professor Haines and Ms. Kassi Moua from the Department of Industrial Relations were interested in a meeting. They seemed quite convinced on the internships services on offer, but were more focused on pre-travel basics like risks of travelling to Nepal, the cost and a layout of socio-economic background of country as a whole. Later the same day, Mr. Pandey also met professors from Department of Medicine. Ms. Genevieve Bouchard, Director of the Dean Office along with Mr. Etienne Pineault was fairly impressed with the kind of broad spectrum that Internship Nepal hosts. Medical Elective placements of Internship Nepal have been hugely regarded in the past few years, especially because of positive feedbacks and testimonials of former interns. 

On 28th of September, Mr. Pandey was scheduled to meet Professor Bilkis Vissandje along with Ms. Larue, Ms. Martino and Ms. Sarrazin from the Department of Nursing. Professors were demonstrated how Internship Nepal has been offering nursing placements for students in some of the most prominent hospitals of Kathmandu. Pictures of our former interns working in Nepalese hospitals were shown in light to the description. Again on the same day, another meeting was organized with Professor Karine Bates from Department of Anthropology. The anthropological backdrop of Nepal is something peculiar to study upon, considering its differences between Canada which happens to stand on a totally different milieu. Currently on an extremely critical political transition, Nepal has witnessed countless fluctuations in its government.

During the final days of his planned travel, Mr. Pandey visited McMaster University of Toronto on 3rd October. He met with professors from Department of Medicine and discussed collaboration with them as well.

A few students were already interested in meeting and inquiring about internship duration in Nepal. All in all though short, Canada proved to be a vital marketing step especially after having received heaps of responses/inquiries from students of different departments of University of Montreal after the circulation of brochures and flyers there.