Rhonda’s Corner: Returning and Reaching Forward

^{Victoria University President and Vice-Chancellor Rhonda N. McEwen, left, poses for a photo with alumnus Tanmay Gupta Vic 2T3 at an alumni reception in India.}

Some trips stay with you long after the suitcase is unpacked. Over the past few weeks, travels to India and Trinidad offered me moments that were both professionally invigorating and personally grounding, and I wanted to share them with the Victoria University community because they speak directly to who we are, where we come from and how far our connections extend as a university.  
 
My time in India was filled with a strong sense of possibility for Vic U. I joined a delegation of Canadian university presidents at a moment when the country’s higher education sector is thinking ambitiously about the future and, throughout the visit, I was focused on what this could mean for our students, faculty and academic mission. I was struck by the openness, curiosity and genuine interest in building partnerships that are reciprocal and forward-looking.  
 
Conversations with university leaders explored student and faculty exchanges, collaborative programming and new forms of micro-credentials that align closely with Vic U’s strengths and our commitment to accessible, globally engaged education.  
 
It was energizing to see how clearly Vic U’s work and spirit resonate beyond Canada, and how eager potential partners are to imagine collaborations that would expand opportunities for our community.  
 
One evening in India offered a quieter but equally powerful reminder of Vic U’s global presence. At an alumni reception, I met a recent Vic graduate Tanmay Gupta Vic 2T3 who arrived wearing their Vic U pin from their first year. We spoke about their journey, their pride in Vic U and the joy of reconnecting so far from home. Encounters like this underscore the lifelong relationships we build and the role our alumni play as ambassadors for the university around the world.  
 
Trinidad offered a different, deeply personal reflection. Returning to the University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Campus, where my own academic journey began, reminded me of the transformative power of institutions that invest in people. The education, mentorship and sense of possibility I received there shaped who I am and how I lead today at Vic U.  
 
Opening the Canada-Caribbean Institute Research Symposium on that campus felt like coming full circle and reinforced the importance of sustaining partnerships that nurture talent, support research and strengthen institutions across generations.  
 
Taken together, these trips reaffirm for me that Vic U’s impact is built through people: the students we prepare for a global future, the alumni who carry Vic U with them wherever they go and the partnerships that allow us to extend our reach while remaining true to our character.  
  
Rhonda N. McEwen
President and Vice-Chancellor