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U of T's Munk One program teaches students how to tackle global issues

Photo of Teresa Kramarz
Teresa Kramarz is the director of Munk One, an interdisciplinary seminar program that gives first-year students in the Faculty of Arts & Science the opportunity to brainstorm real solutions to global problems (photo by Riley Stewart)

When third-year English student Sayeh Yousefi was deciding where to attend university, one factor made the 重口味SM stand out from her other choices. When researching  at the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy, Yousefi saw a perfect fit.

 鈥淢unk One really focuses on critical thinking and how to apply theory to real life. The focus isn鈥檛 just on textbooks,鈥 says Yousefi, a Victoria College student who is a Munk One alumna and one of U of T鈥檚 four Loran scholars in 2016. 鈥淚t鈥檚 based on innovation and thinking outside of the box, which I thought was really interesting. Munk One is one of the reasons I chose U of T.鈥

The smallest of U of T鈥檚 eight first-year foundation programs, Munk One is an interdisciplinary seminar program that gives first-year students in the Faculty of Arts & Science the opportunity to brainstorm real solutions to global problems in a hands-on, interactive learning model.

With guidance from Munk School faculty like Teresa Kramarz, associate professor and director of the Munk One program, and Joseph Wong, Ralph and Roz Halbert professor of innovation, students split into lab groups that focus on themes like environment, digital governance and global health. Their goal is to find answers to a big question within their given theme, guided by the United Nations' .

Once each group identifies a solution to their problem, they prepare a proposal to present in front of a panel of experts, .

鈥淢unk One is one of the few truly interdisciplinary programs that forces students to consider challenges from a variety of points of view,鈥 says Wong.

鈥淪tudents are encouraged to engage in real-world problems in real-world ways. In these regards, the Munk One program equips future leaders with not only the intellectual heft, but also the empowerment to tackle our most pressing challenges.鈥

Equipped with the empowerment Wong describes, Adam Sheikh, a Munk One alumnus, went on to start a student-run non-profit that helped . Sheikh also helps to run the , a resource that teaches students how to take their global solutions from concept to implementation.

鈥淚n Munk One, we looked at how to break down an issue, how to look at its causes. We learned the research process and that we can鈥檛 just jump to conclusions quickly,鈥 says Sheikh.

鈥淢unk One helped me realize that I could pursue anything. I can try to address any issue in the world and feel confident that regardless of whether I succeed or fail, I tried. I learned to be audacious.鈥 

Sheikh and Yousefi are just some of Munk One鈥檚 impressive list of students and alumni. Others include Edil Ga鈥檃l, a Munk One alumna who graduated from U of T with high distinction in 2018 and is on her way to Oxford University on a Rhodes Scholarship; Nika Asgari, a 2018 Loran Scholar, University College student and activist; and Jonah Toth, a third-year peace, conflict and justice student at Victoria College who went on to start a after his time in the Munk One program.

鈥淢unk One students come from many different places around the world, with diverse experiences, skills, and disciplinary interests but what stands out is their shared passion to be engaged hands-on with issues that matter to them,鈥 says Kramarz.

鈥淭hese issues mobilize them to take deep dives into academic research and action. This creates the basis for an immensely energizing first year of university.鈥

To learn more about the Munk One program and how to apply, visit .


 

 

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