This September, 40 Westminster undergraduate students had the chance to explore the professional environment of Washington DC and Toronto as part of the Westminster Working Cultures International programme relaunch.
WWC International provides short-term mobility opportunities to Westminster undergraduate students, giving them a chance to experience work insights and employment culture in some of the world’s major cities.
Two separate groups of 20 students visited Washington DC and Toronto, where they met with a number of Westminster alumni and heard about a range of professional journeys unique to North America. The students explored different sectors such as entrepreneurship, the film and animation industry, journalism, governance, and tech and media.
During the trip to Washington DC between 11-18 September, students learned about the history of the United States with an exclusive tour of the National Museum of African American History and Culture conducted by senior staff at the Smithsonian Institution, Timothy Anne Burnside and Angela Tate. They also met with Computer Science BSc alumnus Pranil Vadgama, CEO and President at Health Prime, to get an insight into healthcare in the US. Highlights of the trip also included a visit to Montgomery College with International Journalism MA alumna Professor Emily Rosado, a session with Biotechnology BSc alumna and GSK Senior Director Varnika Roy and a tour of the Diligent Corporation offices, a company that provides world leading board-management software. This was followed by a discussion with Senior Vice President Shana Glenzer about modern governance technology and the importance of knowing how to sell yourself to a company.
During the Toronto trip between 19-25 September, participants heard from Westminster alumni and partners on navigating life after university, as well as discussing potential career paths and transferable learning. WWC students were given a tour of Toronto City Hall followed by a discussion with Human Resource Management MA alumna Marsha John-Greenwood, Vice President of People and Cultures at TIFF. Marsha spoke to students about the importance of bringing your true self to work and on how BIPOC can navigate Canada’s employment landscape.
Students were treated to a private screening of Time Out, the Bollywood film directed by alumnus Rikhil Bahadur who graduated from the Directing: Film and TV MA course, now Film, Television and Moving Image MA. The screening was followed by an interactive discussion with Rikhil and others who worked on the film about its themes as well as how it was made and received in India.
Highlights of the trip also included introducing students to the visual effects and animation industry, with a tour of DNEG Toronto studio, followed by a discussion with DNEG colleagues Maggy Pelletier, Office Manager Toronto and Montreal, and Gwenn Degrigny, Head of Talent Acquisition.
Speaking about the day, Maggy said: “I had the privilege of hosting students from the University of Westminster in our Toronto studio. Their curiosity, their obvious interest in our projects and their relevant questions on the evolution of the VFX industry were a great source of inspiration and motivation.”
The week in Toronto ended with an inspiring visit to Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU), formerly known as Ryerson University, where the group had a chance to spend the day with TMU students and get a glimpse of student life in Toronto. Students were given a tour of some of TMU’s Zone Learning spaces and Innovative studios, followed by inspiring workshops on entrepreneurship and fostering indigenous cultures and innovation.
About WWC International
WWC International offer Westminster undergraduate students a second-to-none international learning experience, challenging and radically transforming their perception of culture and the global labour markets. Thanks to the insightful exchange with the Westminster alumni community and partners, students develop a unique edge on employability and valuable cultural awareness.
This trip was made possible by the generous funding support from The Quintin Hogg Trust.
The next trips in the Westminster Working Cultures programme are to Cairo and Mumbai in January 2023.
Learn more about the Westminster Working Cultures International programme.
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