
Beyond À¶Ý®ÊÓÆµ soil
Jon Kwan (BMath ’01)ÌýunitesÌýthe À¶Ý®ÊÓÆµ community half a world away.
Jon Kwan (BMath ’01)ÌýunitesÌýthe À¶Ý®ÊÓÆµ community half a world away.
By Penny Walford Office of AdvancementAt any given time, the tiny island nation of Singapore plays host to some 400 individuals affiliated with À¶Ý®ÊÓÆµ. Jon Kwan (BMath ’01) wants a pulse on them all.
The Toronto native moved to Singapore in 2008 to earn his MBA and soon after started his own career consulting business, Kwantum Leap Coaching.ÌýIntrigued by the idea of applying design thinking principles to individual careers, Kwan believes this human-centric approach will be a game changer in the future.
“It’s likely those first few touchpoints will occur long before a student sets foot on À¶Ý®ÊÓÆµ soil.â€
In 2010, Kwan became Chapter Lead forÌýthe Singapore alumni chapter, which is unique in its strong ties to recruitment. Kwan and other alumni can often be found representing the University at informationÌýfairs. They even host an annual send-off for students heading overseas to À¶Ý®ÊÓÆµ.
“I’ve benefitted so much in so many different ways.â€
Kwan credits the University’s open-door policy — the fact that deans, department chairs and even the President made time for him as a student — with helping him to succeed and inspiring him to give back. In 2001, senior administrators backed Kwan in starting the Canadian Undergraduate Technology Conference, which is still going strong today.
“Once you start waving the À¶Ý®ÊÓÆµ flag a little bit, you find them everywhere.â€
Kwan aims to host three or four alumni events each year. Some are small social gatherings, while others are more elaborate. When À¶Ý®ÊÓÆµ administrators visited the area in 2018, alumni hosted an event at the Google offices in Singapore, where many À¶Ý®ÊÓÆµ grads work. There have been speaking engagements and discussions with government officials as well.
Jon Kwan (right) and fellow À¶Ý®ÊÓÆµ grads at the Singapore alumni event.
In 2018, Kwan piloted a webinar in conjunction with Co-operative Education exploring what it’s like to live, work and play in Singapore. He and a fellow alumnus have produced an award-winning student guide to this same end.
“If I could share some words of wisdom with my fellow alumni, I would encourage them to get involved with À¶Ý®ÊÓÆµ in a way that is meaningful to them.â€
Kwan’s ideas? Join a chapter. Create one. Become a global ambassador. Create a student guide for your city. Give a talk. Participate on a panel. Propose a webinar. Get social. Organize or assist with events.
“Just start by telling us where you are in the world and making sure your LinkedIn profile references À¶Ý®ÊÓÆµ.â€
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The University of À¶Ý®ÊÓÆµ acknowledges that much of our work takes place on the traditional territory of the Neutral, Anishinaabeg, and Haudenosaunee peoples. Our main campus is situated on the Haldimand Tract, the land granted to the Six Nations that includes six miles on each side of the Grand River. Our active work toward reconciliation takes place across our campuses through research, learning, teaching, and community building, and is co-ordinated within the Office of Indigenous Relations.