From left to right: Daniel Mundeva, SFU Masters student; Felix Böck, PhD candidate at UBC; Yimei Li, Masters student at UBC. | Photo courtesy of UBC

Vancouver’s post-secondary institutions draw students and faculty members from all over the world. SFU Masters’ student Daniel Mundeva, UBC Masters’ student Yimei Li, and UBC PhD candidate Felix Boeck relate their experiences of studying and working in Vancouver.

Daniel Mundeva, who completed his undergraduate degree in Geography at UBC, is currently working towards an MA in International Studies in the Governance and Conflict stream. Having grown up in Tanzania, he retains strong ties to his native country.

His research project revolves around the concept of “Social License to Operate” (SLO), which is loosely defined as the community’s acceptability for a project to exist in their area. He is currently analyzing the state of the Tanzanian government’s policy support and capacity for implementing SLOs.

What drew Daniel Mundeva to Canada was its rugged landscape and reputation on the world stage.

“I chose Canada because of its great international reputation in terms of humanitarian work and its majestic landscape, especially the Rockies. I am a hiker, so it was not a difficult choice to live within a few hours drive of the Rockies,” he says.

UBC’s academic prestige and his full scholarship were also key factors in his decision to come to B.C.

Mundeva hopes to return to Tanzania upon graduation to play an active role in its development efforts.

“Actually, that evening of August 13, 2008, when I first boarded the flight from Kilimanjaro International Airport to Vancouver, I was more excited about my return flight than that outbound flight. During my undergraduate and graduate studies, I have made it a priority to look for opportunities to remain connected and to continue to contribute in Tanzania’s development efforts,” he explains.

He hopes to help his country emulate things that he admires in Canada, though he recognizes that differences must be taken into account.

“Tanzania has a lot to learn from Canada especially in terms of building institutional capacity to ensure an economically and socially stable Tanzania is built. But I continuously remind myself that everything must always be taken in context. What works in Canada does not necessarily mean it will work in Tanzania. So, with all my dreams to bring the good things I have seen in Canada back home, I continually remind myself that I must also remain sensitive to the cultural and social differences that exist,” he says.

Mundeva’s role as an agent for change was largely influenced by his experience studying abroad.

“Through my exposure in working and studying internationally, I have learnt to look at a lot of things critically instead of just accepting the ‘reality’ I witness at home. I see potential for positive change in every situation,” he says.

Despite his desire to return to Tanzania, his definition of “home” has evolved over the years.

“I have learned that the answer to the question, ‘Will you return home?’ is not really as easy as may be assumed. This is partly because the definition of home changes; new relationships, networks and identities get formed,” says Mundeva.

Mundeva also enjoys enriching Vancouver’s cultural landscape with Tanzanian zeal. Some of his efforts include co-teaching Swahili classes at UBC, organizing social gatherings with non-Tanzanian friends that involve cooking Tanzanian cuisine, dancing, and listening to Tanzanian music, putting on drumming performances and wearing Tanzanian attire – weather permitting.

Yimei Li, UBC

Yimei Li is an M.Sc. Atmospheric Science student at UBC, conducting her thesis project on air quality in Burns Bog, Delta. Now a Canadian citizen, Li’s unique heritage is also rooted in Korea, where her family is from, and China, where she grew up.

Her experiences in Asia have fuelled her passion for her field. Prior to coming to Canada, however, she was largely unaware of air quality issues.

“I think I am more aware of the air pollution issue than others because I have had personal experiences on this. Before I came to Canada back in 2004, I thought the air quality back in Asia was acceptable and clean for the majority of the time because I do remember clear skies,” she says.

It wasn’t until she returned to visit that she realized the scope of air quality issues in Korea and China.

“When I went back to visit last year, I was shocked how polluted Asia has become over the decade especially in the springtime. I only remember one or two days with good visibility over my one-month stay in Korea. Same story goes for China, although I did have more clear days in my hometown, which is in the northeastern part of China,” says Li.

Felix Böck, UBC

Felix Böck, a Wood Science and Engineering graduate student working towards his PhD at UBC, is currently working on developing technology to process bamboo into strong wood-hybrid materials. He grew up in Germany, and his work and education have taken him to many places across the globe.

For Böck, Vancouver’s vistas evoke the natural landscape of his home in Germany.

“To be honest, my dream was always to travel and discover a place far away from home. Home is the Alps in Germany and after some research about Canada with its endless forests, mountains, lakes and waterfalls I was sold and thought my re-adjustment to a new environment might be not too hard,” he says.

He would be reluctant to leave Vancouver, a city he has grown attached to.

“It´s hard to think about leaving such a beautiful place which I start calling home and feel homesick to when I am traveling. I would miss everything, Vancouver has something that´s hard to put in words that I haven’t felt anywhere else in the world. From friendly bus-drivers to walking distance to endless beaches or nature outside the city – I love it,” he says.