Students Reflect on New World of Work Event

On November 5th, the Arts & Science Program held the first New World of Work Series event of the 2024/2025 academic year. It was a case-based event that brought together Artsci students and alumni.

We, Noor (Level II), Emelia (Level III), and Camille (Level IV), are the student organizing team for the New World of Work Series events for this year. In chatting with our peers,  we realized that while we often hear about the inspiring careers that Artsci graduates go on to lead, it can be difficult to know by titles alone what a position constitutes on a day-to-day basis. We wanted to create an event that could help students understand the specific critical thinking, problem-solving, collaboration and research skills that are needed in different career paths. We thought that a case-study based event would help us accomplish this goal!

Prior to the event, we asked eight alumni, working in a wide variety of fields, to prepare a case study that outlines a specific challenge or opportunity they may face in a typical day. Alumni facilitators included Zoe Handa, Imran Jessa, Gali Katznelson, Anne Malee van Koeverden, Ian McIntosh, Carita Ng, Shruti Ramesh and Dr. Lyndall Schumann. They have careers in social work, data analysis, medicine, art direction, urban planning, public service, law, and mental health, respectively. The interesting case studies they developed took up topics ranging from developing strategies to address the closure of live music venues, to creating a case management plan to support individuals living in the shelter system.

During the event, students got to engage in round-table discussions with the alumni, taking up the case studies of their choice. After taking part in the roundtables and hearing feedback from attendees, we are most proud of how students were able to connect the problem-solving skills needed for completing the cases to the skills gained in their Artsci courses. For example, in the urban planning case on live music venues, it was important to consider many stakeholder positions. Students were able to draw on skills from both Economics and Social and Political Thought to understand this issue from many viewpoints. Students also valued how the case study approach made complex jobs seem more attainable and accessible, as in collaborating with peers and alumni to work through cases, Artscis realized that they could contribute meaningfully to solve challenging problems in the real world.

During the reception, it was wonderful to see current Artscis continue to connect with alumni from the program. Our peers valued the opportunity to get to know alumni who are working in industries that they are interested in pursuing and learn more about how graduates got from Artsci to their current positions.

This event was a part of the New World of Work Series, which connects current students, alumni, and industry professionals for meaningful conversations about the World of Work. The New World of Work Series is supported through a generous gift made by Bruce Miyashita (Artsci 1984) in honour of his late parents, Tom and Nancy Miyashita. The annual event series offers a unique opportunity for Arts & Science students to explore emerging themes in the rapidly changing world of work and to take up topics relevant to work in the contemporary moment from a variety of perspectives. It also allows a student organizing team to accrue experience in project management and event planning. Since its inception in 2018, the New World of Work Series (previously the New World of Work Forum) has become a signature initiative within the Arts & Science Program.

We want to express our heartfelt thanks to Bruce Miyashita for making this event possible and for taking time to connect with us at the event. Thank you as well to the incredible alumni case study facilitators for your willingness to share a glimpse into your career and offering valuable guidance on navigating paths after Artsci. We are truly grateful for your generosity and commitment to giving back to the Arts & Science community.

For more event photos, check out the Arts & Science Program on Instagram.