“Toronto is a very good place to take international studies,” says Nina J. Sandersen, 24, a bachelor student at York University’s bilingual campus Glendon.

According to statistics, half of Toronto’s population is born outside of Canada. Upon arriving in Canada’s biggest city Nina knew Toronto was multicultural, still she got surprised.  “In the beginning I sometimes looked around in class, amazed. I was surrounded by faces from all over the world.” Her friends are also a diverse group, originating from Russia, El Salvador, Germany, India, France, English- and French-speaking Canada.

“I could of course have done my international studies at a university in Norway, but I feel it gives me so much more to be here.” In class, there will almost always be some students who are from the area or country that is being discussed, and often they’ll give an inside perspective. For example, Asian students can give quite a different picture of everyday life in their countries than the picture portrayed by the media, and Nina finds that very useful.

She also thinks she is learning a lot about her own country and background.

“Just being in such a diverse environment makes me reflect more. Growing up in a social democracy, we take so much for granted. For example, Scandinavian women can have both a family and a career, which is impossible for many Japanese women.


Taking in the flavours
There are many things about Toronto Nina likes, however strolling the streets and visiting new neighbourhoods to take in the different flavours of the city is certainly among her favourites.The population of the greater Toronto area is four and a half million, but because the city is made up of different neighbourhoods, it does not feel overwhelmingly big.  When Nina has the time, she likes to go on a bus or a streetcar and travel to different neighbourhoods for good food. The variety is enormous, and choosing what to eat and where to go, can be tricky: Greek, Indian, Korean, Chinese or Japanese?  “Toronto is North American in its appearance, the streets are wide and there are many ugly buildings. It’s the content of the city that I like. Toronto has so much to offer, and I’m trying to take in as much as I can.

Nina first started on an engineering degree in Gothenburg, Sweden, but decided to switch direction after nearly two years of the program.

“Engineering turned out not to be the right thing for me. It was interesting, but I felt there were so many other subjects that I also wanted to know more about, therefore I decided to change my field of study and get a broader perspective.” She landed on international studies, on a bilingual campus, in one of the most international cities in the world. How much broader can it get?

“I feel good here. The courses I’m taking vary from economics to politics, history, human rights, globalisation, French and environmental studies, however I feel they are all leading in the same direction. I’m also learning a lot from just living her.” Tolerance is one of the things you learn being a student in Canada. Canadians are full of respect of diversities, and Nina embraces that attitude. No matter the skin colour or sexual orientation or religious belief, everyone should be treated with respect.

In some mysterious way Canada has always appealed to Nina. In her high school days in Asker, the outskirts of Oslo, she remembers collecting catalogues from Canadian universities while attending education fairs. Now, after one and a half years in the multi-ethnic Toronto, she understands more of her Canadian attraction.