Spring Convocation 2023
Celebrating Our Graduates
The Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy has welcomed a combined total of 140 new Master of Global Affairs and Master of Public Policy graduates into our alumni community. Below, learn about some of the 2023 graduates and view some highlights of the day’s in-person celebrations.
Hilda-Matilda Idegwu came to the Munk School aspiring to change the world. Her Master of Public Policy degree may help her do just that.
Joaquin Espinosa Alarcón’s journey to the Munk School was peppered with many stops along the way. His interest in global affairs is the sum of those experiences.
Sara Duodu entered the Master of Global Affairs program looking to make an impact, both during her studies and beyond those two years. She figured out a pathway to meaningful change by immersing herself in the broad variety of professional fields that the Munk School fosters.
Vedant Puthran was going to pursue a law degree. But a desire to give back to his community in more tangible ways brought him to the Master of Public Policy program.
As a public policy analyst and trainee at the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), graduating student Pierre Sarlieve focuses on restoring trust and fostering democratic values between people and the institutions that govern them.
Scenes from Convocation Hall
Honorary Degree Recipient
Barbara Jackman, one of Canada’s foremost immigration lawyers, received an honorary degree at the ceremony. Throughout her career, Jackman has argued for the rights and humanity of migrants, demonstrating a commitment to protecting the most disadvantaged and vulnerable in society.
In recognition of her transformative impact on Canadian immigration and refugee law, as well as her tireless advocacy for social justice and human rights, Jackman received a Doctor of Laws, honoris causa, from the University of Toronto.
Jackman earned an undergraduate degree from the University of Windsor in 1972, and her law degree from U of T in 1976. She was called to the Bar of Ontario in 1978.
I think strengthening democracies should be a part of our lives, all the more so as lawyers, diplomats, civil servants, academics, teachers, whatever you choose to be. You can become involved more directly in so many ways: in your jobs and beyond them, through church and community activities, supporting human rights, environmental and other social movements. And at a very human level, you can speak up where you see discrimination and other forms of unfair treatment in your workplace, government offices, and in the courts.- Barbara Jackman
Excellence for Community Building Award
The new Excellence for Community Building Award captures the values of the Munk School. It celebrates graduating students who used their leadership position to create a welcoming and inclusive environment for all, demonstrating a commitment to equity and diversity through their actions, and showing integrity and care in interactions with others. The recipients were determined by Munk School administration based on performance and interactions throughout the program considering a range of criteria, including: leadership; community-building; equity, integrity and caring; positive impact.
The inaugural winners of the Excellence for Community Building Award are Kudzaishe Gondora (MGA) and Emily Jin (MPP).
“Everyone who has made it to the finish line at the Munk School knows that it comes with the cost of hard work, sacrifice and the constant pushing of one's limits. I remember when I was wide-eyed and bushy-tailed, attending orientation week in September of 2021, meeting my classmates and feeling a buzz around me and I thought to myself, man, these are about to be the best two years of my life.”- Kudzaishe Gondora (MGA '23)
Master of Global Affairs Award Ceremony
This year, we honoured four students for their outstanding achievements in the MGA program:
- Giancarlo Da-Re (MGA) - Peter Mansbridge Gold Medal
- Gabrielle Evans (MGA) - Janice Stein Student Leadership Award
- Sara Duodu (MGA) - George B. Kepes Leadership Award
- Kudzaishe Gondora (MGA) - Excellence for Community Building Award
The inaugural MGA recipient, Kudzaishe Gondora, not only celebrated convocation but her birthday as well. Her parents and sisters travelled from Zimbabwe to watch her give the Onwards and Goodbye speech for the MGA class. Adhish Tendulkar (MGA) and Manu Pant’s (MGA) families also travelled, from India, to join the celebrations.
Master of Public Policy Award Ceremony
This year, we honoured three students for their outstanding achievements in the MPP program:
- Pierre Sarlieve (MPP) - Janice Stein Leadership Award
- Luca Dannetta (MPP) - Ontario 360 Award for the best Capstone Course paper and the MPP Director's Award for highest GPA
- Emily Jin (MPP) - Excellence for Community Building Award (inaugural recipient for the MPP program)
Kieran Kreidié-Akazaki (pictured first and second from above) gave the Onwards and Goodbye speech for the MPP class of 2023.
Anastasia Triadafilopoulos, the daughter of Professor Phil Triadafilopoulos (pictured), graduated from the Master of Public Policy program.
U of T Faculty Emeritus, Professor Ian Burton joined us to celebrate his grandson, Lonya Burton (MPP '23).
Congratulations, Graduates
Graduates, today the University of Toronto is formally recognizing your hard work, your accomplishments, your perseverance, and this milestone. And speaking of perseverance, you’ve successfully completed your program in extraordinary and challenging times. And today’s celebration is all the more meaningful for it. Thank you for your many contributions to the University while you were a student. And thank you for what you will do as members of Canada’s largest, most distinguished community of alumni.- Meric Gertler, President of the University of Toronto