University of Toronto
Join CBIE and its partner QS to take part in interactive, data-driven discussions that combine strategic insight with collaborative dialogue. Drawing on expert perspectives from Dr. Ashwin Fernandes, Vice President of Strategy and Internationalization at QS, and Helen Kelly, Principal Consultant, the Masterclass will examine how Canada’s global reputation is reshaping international student recruitment and influencing the future of transnational education (TNE) for the country.
Agenda
| 12:30 – 13:30 | Review of the Canadian marketplace |
| 13:30 – 14:00 | Fireside chat with Dr. Ashwin Fernandes |
| 14:15 – 15:15 | Roundtable discussions |
| 15:30 – 16:30 | TNE masterclass session |
| 16:30 – 18:30 | Networking |
Speaker
Dr. Ashwin Fernandes
Vice President, Strategic and International Engagement, QS India
Dr Ashwin Fernandes Chair for India, and Vice President for Strategic and International Engagement at QS Quacquarelli Symonds, the world’s largest international education network. He works closely with institutions across the world to better understand the local context and to support the drive for excellence and capacity building.
Dr Ashwin Fernandes is known as an ambassador of the quality movement in education and has advocated the need for independent evaluation mechanisms for promoting excellence. He actively advocates the use of rankings, accreditation and other QA models for various purposes, be it for students aspiring for higher education in reputed institutions across the globe or government agencies looking to have their universities compete globally, or academics looking for partners focused on research initiatives.
During his professional engagement, he has met with senior leaders from the region and is often invited to speak at several conferences and events on university rankings, ratings, education, higher education etc. He has been a panellist on various discussion forums and presented his recommendations on thought-provoking topics related to higher education.
Dr Fernandes championed the need for an independent rankings framework for the Arab Region and hence was instrumental in developing the QS Arab Region University Rankings in 2014/15. He also founded India’s first nationwide private-sector evaluation framework, QS I-GAUGE.
He has a Doctorate of Philosophy (PhD) along with an MBA in Marketing and a B.Com degree in Financial Accounting, Auditing & Taxation. He has lived and worked in 5 countries and visited over 300 educational institutions during his time at QS.
Dr Fernandes has authored the book titled “India’s Knowledge Supremacy: The New Dawn”, which is a thought-provoking perspective on the evolution of higher education in India, since ancient times to now. It was released by Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, Hon’ble Union Minister of Education for India in January 2023. He also authored the book MODIALOGUE, which is a comprehensive exploration of the communication strategy of Shri Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India.
He also setup PACT Foundation in 2023 with the mission to promote inclusive education and drive sustainable development in India. The foundation works with school and children to promote quality education, sanitation, and vibrant classrooms in marginalised areas.
