Dr. Natalee Popadiuk (centre), Dr. Ye Bin (left), Dr. Sauli Puukari (right)

are working together to help enhance opportunities for students.

New opportunities and possibilities for international counselling program exchanges were discussed when Dr. Natalee Popadiuk, Assistant Professor in the Counselling Psychology Master’s Program recently hosted two visiting international scholars from Finland and China.

Dr. Sauli Puukari from the University of Jyväskylä in Finland facilitated a workshop on multicultural counselling and is already collaborating with Popadiuk on various projects. Dr. Ye Bin, the director of the counselling psychology program at the East China Normal University in Beijing is starting his one-year study of the SFU counselling program and hopes to learn more about student practicuums and supervision. In China, Bin looks at Internet addiction among Chinese adolescents, an issue of growing concern in Canada. All three experts believe that relationships with like-minded individuals will only serve to enhance the opportunities for students.

“It’s exciting to see what can happen when people from different places start thinking of new possibilities,” said Popadiuk, who has a keen interest in international student issues. “Building connections with faculty and students around the world helps to increase our own cultural awareness and international perspectives.”

Until the counselling psychology exchanges are in place, Popadiuk encourages students to become involved in internationalizing our SFU campuses: “Get involved in diverse clubs and groups, learn a new language and culture, go on an SFU cultural exchange, and meet some great people here and abroad!”