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International students come to ���Ҵ�ý from more than 100 countries around the world, and when the latest group arrived in Kingston for the fall semester, they had the opportunity to take part in special welcome activities through the Queen’s University International Centre (QUIC) just before other students arrived on campus.

“Arriving in a new country and culture can be overwhelming, so we see Welcome Week as more than an introduction to Queen’s. It’s a foundation of belonging,” says Sultan Almajil, Director of the QUIC. “The friendships and confidence built in those first few days often carry through an international student’s entire university journey.”

Welcome Week activities kicked off this year with an ice breaker followed by a tour of campus, where new students learned about the resources available to them at Queen’s. Students had the chance to get to know each other and the local area through activities such as a walk around downtown Kingston, a trip to Fort Henry, and a community soup lunch. Many events also helped students learn about life and academic culture in Canada, and Service Canada came to the QUIC several times to help them obtain a social insurance number.

New international students walking out of the John Deutsch University Centre (JDUC) during the Welcome Week campus tour.

“As an international student myself, I deeply understand how challenging it can be to adjust to a new country and culture, and I love being able to help international students feel welcomed when they arrive,” says Rissa Wang, at the QUIC and fourth-year student at Queen’s, studying politics. “My favourite part of Welcome Week is the peer social event on the meadow of the lakeshore, where QUIC activities make it so easy to meet new people and feel connected, all under the glow of a late-summer pink sunset.”

The QUIC also organizes , a series of weekly online sessions that runs June through August and helps prepare students for arrival in Canada.

Learn more about resources for international students on the .