Seher Shafiq

1. Tell us about yourself

My name is Seher and I am doing a double major in International Relations and Ethics, Society & Law.  I’m currently entering my fourth year and can’t wait to finish! For the past 10 years I’ve lived in Richmond Hill, and all through my undergraduate degree I have been commuting to school.

1. What are you involved with on campus:

Presently I work as a volunteer for Noble Institution for Environmental Peace (NIEP), with UofT’s Professor Biswajit Ganguly and Professor Roger Hansell.  This organization seeks to promote the new idea of ‘environmental peace’ through various methods. My role in NIEP consists of being a student editor on the Editor’s Board (which consists of 5 Nobel Laureates) of the Journal of Environmental Peace, a scholarly journal. I am also an assistant editor of the Environmental Peace Review. This initiative publishes writing on diverse topics, and focuses on diversity and culture. Professor Ganguly and Professor Hansell have also started a new university, Noble International University, which introduces a new concept in post secondary education – post-secondary education that is accessible all over the world and affordable for everyone. I work with NIEP to promote and network this University. In October I will go to the United Nations with Prof. Ganguly and Prof. Hansell as a representative of NIEP and it’s exciting that I have been given an international press card by NIEP and will write for their Environmental Peace Review. In terms of other free-lance journalism, I also co-wrote a piece on religion in the public school system that is in the process of being published right now.
As well, I work with the G8 Research Group, a team of graduate students at UofT, to prepare academic reports which monitor the G8/G20 countries compliance to the commitments that they make at the conferences
Another organization I am involved with is the Pakistan Development Fund (pakistandevelopment.org). It is a global network of students and professionals who work to help raise awareness and alleviate some of the social problems in Pakistan. All of our events are either in the spirit of raising awareness and encouraging discussion about a political or social issue in Pakistan, or fundraising. It was started by a friend about a year and a half ago, and I have been working with the organization since then.

1. You’ve also worked with many other groups in the past. Can you tell us about your past experiences?

I have been the President at Global Education Initiative at UofT from 2008 to 2011, where I worked to develop academic surveys to test high school students’ knowledge of world issues. I also distributed resources to Toronto District School Board high schools in an effort to get high school students more involved in their community.
I was also a UofT UNICEF volunteer at the Global Food Festival in 2010 and for the Youth Engagement Project , where I developed and delivered lessons about children’s rights, water and sanitation, and girls’ education to constituents of the Harbourfront Community Centre.
I also held a position of Secretary on University College Literary and Athletic Society (2009-2010) and have been part of a dance team that performed a cultural dance at UofT’s ‘Festival of Dance 2011’.
In terms of other clubs, I was an  Events Coordinator and later President at Pakistan Students Federation (2009-2010).

1. Why did you come to UofT and how do you like it?

I came to UofT because I love the environment at this school. Our university is full of brilliant and qualified people. When I have a history/politics classes, world-renowned scholars have been my professors; for law –an ex-Attorney General; when I had a class on environment, the CEO of World Wildlife Fund was the guest lecturer. It’s a great setting and network for students to develop careers in.

1. What did you do over the summer?

I travelled to Dubai, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Las Vegas. An interesting combination, I know. I was visiting family and friends in all of these places. I also was doing community work with the organizations that I am part of on campus, and I took two summer courses at UofT.

1. What are your plans after graduation or for next 10 years?

I’m looking to do a Masters in Public Policy right after I graduate (i.e. 2012). In the future, I’d like to have a career in developing education policies and systems for less developed countries. I see myself doing this work either with a government, NGO, or some other international organization

1. What do you plan on accomplishing this year in terms of extracurricular involvement?

I am involved with so much this year that I have to focus on doing a good job at everything and managing my time efficiently. Along with my extracurricular involvement, I am writing my Graduate Record Exams and applying to graduate school in December. So I hope to accomplish all of these things successfully.

1. What are your hopes and aspirations for future of students and campus involvement?

I hope that future students at UofT learn about and recognize all the diverse opportunities to get involved on campus. University can be really dull unless you make the effort to get involved in activities you are passionate about.