SFU International Services for Students

The Year of the Rabbit is approaching! Join the SFU International Mentorship Program for the Chinese New Year parade filled with dances and cultural performances on Sunday February 6th! All students are welcome to attend this event.

When: Sunday, February 6th, 2011, from 12pm-2pm (stay as long as you like!)
Where: Chinatown (see map of parade route here)
Meeting place: Production Way Skytrain Station @ 10:30am, departing @ 10:45am SHARP!
OR Stadium/Chinatown Skytrain Station @ 11:15am
Cost: Free!

To register, please complete the registration form at the following link: http://websurvey.sfu.ca/survey/74481238

Please email sfu.imp.events@gmail.com if you have any questions about this event.

Note: Please dress weather-appropriate as this is an outdoor event.

Do you have a spouse, common-law partner or family member with you in Canada, who would like to work? Finding employment in an unfamiliar country can be a challenge for international spouses, partners and families; SFU International would like to connect you to the resources and services that are available to you while you are in Canada.

• Date: Wednesday, February 2nd, 2011
• Time: 3:00 – 4:30 PM
• Location: Maggie Benston Centre (MBC) Room 1300/02 (same floor as SFU International)

How to register for this workshop:

(1) Complete the online application form.

(2) Pay your $5.00 registration fee in exact cash to the SFU International front desk (MBC 1200) by 4:00PM on Monday, January 31st.  (Please note that without paying the fee, your registration will be considered incomplete and you will not be issued a workshop ticket)

Topics that may be covered include:
- How do international spouses and students find jobs they are qualified for?
- How do I search for jobs in the Canadian job market? How do I access the “hidden job market”?
- What employment services are available to international spouses and students while they are in Canada?
- What to expect from the Canadian job market; what are the expectations while working in Canada?

For more information, contact intl_programs@sfu.ca.

Are you a new student at SFU? Are you interested in participating in local traditions?

You are invited to come to the Vancouver Giants Hockey Night organized jointly by SFU International Mentorship Program and the Global Partnering System. Vancouver Giants is one of the top Canadian junior hockey leagues and many players continue onto the National Hockey League (NHL) afterward.

All international students are welcome to attend this event!

When: Friday, January 28 @ 7:30pm
Where: Pacific Coliseum (100 North Renfrew Street, Vancouver)
Meeting place: Pacific Coliseum Ticket Office @ 6:45-7:15pm
Cost: $15

Note: If traveling from SFU Burnaby Campus, take bus 135 Burrard Station and get off at Renfrew St. stop. The Pacific Coliseum is on your right hand side. Tickets will be handed out before the game starts at the meeting place in exchange for the voucher that is given to students at the time of their payment.

To purchase a ticket, please bring $15 cash (exact change please) to SFU International’s front desk (Maggie Benston Centre 1200, open Monday to Friday between 9:00am-4:30pm) by Thursday, January 20 @ 4:00pm with a signed waiver, which can be downloaded from http://students.sfu.ca/exchange/gps/index.html

Please email sfu.imp.events@gmail.com if you have any questions about this event.

Join the SFU International Mentorship Program on Sunday, January 23, 2011 for a free 60-minute yoga lesson at Lululemon, Robson street! All international students are welcome to attend this event!

To register, please complete the registration form HERE by January 20th. Hurry- available spots are limited so register now!

*Please bring/prepare: Wear comfortable clothes that you can stretch in (light shirt, loose pants/shorts) and prepare for the weather forecast as we will be walking to the store from the skytrain. Please bring a yoga mat (although some complimentary mats are available), a water bottle and money (in case you might want to buy something from the store). We might also go to eat afterwards, so if you would like to, please bring money for a small meal as well (~$10-15).

Please mail sfu.imp.events@gmail.com if you have any questions about this event.

International Week 2011 is an exciting week created to raise awareness for the various international activities SFU takes part in. From February 7 to 11, fun activities and events will be hosted in collaboration with different student, faculty, and staff groups.

For a sneak peak on the various activities, please check out the events page and mark your calendars!

The SFU Graduate International Community Program is a brand-new initiative for all graduate students! Through ongoing events and activities, this program aims to:

• Provide opportunities for intercultural exchange between international and domestic SFU graduate students of culturally diverse backgrounds
• Build community between SFU graduate students, both international and domestic, across cultural and academic differences

We would like to introduce Mari Ng Mizobe as our new Graduate International Community Programmer at SFU International. She loves organizing programs for graduate students, building inclusive communities, and supporting diverse students and groups to connect with each other and realize their best! Mari is also an international graduate student at SFU, working on her PhD in Education. She loves Vancouver – and finds that getting involved in events and opportunities on campus has given her a much-needed sense of community here!

The Community Program’s first event of the term will be an International Grad Dinner Social at Rhizome Café!  We encourage all graduate students – whether you’re new to Canada or not – to attend! Family members, such as spouses and children, are also welcome.

Date: Jan 22, 2011 (Sat)
Time: 6 – 9 pm 
Location: Rhizome Café (317 East Broadway, Vancouver BC)
Registration deadline: by Jan 19, 2011

For further event information and registration details, check out the program’s events page.

For more information about this new Program and other upcoming events, check out our website.

The International Mentorship Program aims to provide transitional support and is a free (no application fee) service for all new international undergraduate students.

New international students are matched with volunteer mentors for information, support and guidance. Every effort will be made to match you with a mentor in the same faculty in which you have been accepted. However, due to the availability of volunteers in specific faculties, we are unable to guarantee you that your mentor will be from your faculty.

If this is your first time in North America and you would like an introduction to daily living in Vancouver and you would like to meet current SFU students, take advantage of this program!

 To Request a Mentor for Spring 2011, please visit our website. 

*Graduate Students: Please note that there will be a series of activities offered specifically for international graduate students during the Spring term. Further information on these activities are available through the SFU International office.

If you are a new or returning international student, check out our Facebook page to get updates about:

           – Workshops and/or events on-campus for international students

           - Important updates and deadlines for international students

          – Interesting cultural/international events in the Metro Vancouver area

New international undergraduate and graduate students who were not able to attend International Orientation are encouraged to attend one of the following International Mini-Orientation sessions to get important information on immigration, employment, health insurance and more. 

All sessions will be held in Student Central, Maggie Benston Centre 3000, Burnaby Campus. No pre-registration is necessary.

January 7: 10 am – 11:30 am
January 10: 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm
January 12: 2:30 pm – 4:00 pm