Blessed with an excellent memory, Smith, now 53, can tell you exactly when he wrote his last York exam (May 2, 1968) and when he began his first, full-time job (11 days later), as a new member of the Department of External Affairs. "That was a very eventful year," he says. "I was married on July 27, 1968."

Fast forward 30 years, and Smith, a personable man whose distinguished diplomatic career concluded with a final posting as Canadian Ambassador to Indonesia, has come back to his alma mater and a new job, as vice-president (university advancement). His portfolios include alumni affairs, community relations, development, communications and media relations, and he is pleased to discuss the interesting challenges that await him.

The York University that Gary Smith attended, where he took most of his classes at the Glendon campus and served on the student council, and as a reporter on Glendon's student newspaper, has grown exponentially over the years. But that comes as no surprise to someone who has returned periodically to both York campuses -- between diplomatic stints in Tel Aviv, New Delhi, Bonn, Moscow and four other foreign postings -- to participate in seminars, to lecture and to contribute his expertise to the Joint Centre for Asia Pacific Studies and other York-based initiatives. He also has served on the board of directors of York's Alumni Association.

Looking at his home university now, Smith says, "There's a lot to be proud of." Academically, the University has many strengths, not least in atmospheric science, environmental studies, fine arts, business and law, he notes. Then there's the excellent computer science program, the second largest in the province, and the programs offered by the Faculty of Arts, which are among the very best anywhere.

And with the continuing development of the Greater Toronto Area, the campus that once was seen as being on the city's furthest outskirts, "all of a sudden is at the heart of the GTA," Smith remarks. Highway 407 runs near the University and it's becoming a lot easier for people passing by to come in and take advantage of what York has to offer. "As housing developments go up to the north, east and west and as things get filled in, with our pond, Black Creek and acres of green space, we're becoming a bit of an oasis in the centre of the new Toronto."

Someone whose career has helped him to appreciate the many values of internationalism, he also observes that York's student population, "reflects the new Toronto, the new Canada and the global community, perhaps more than any other university in the country."

One of Smith's functions as vice-president is to work with his senior administrative colleagues to engage members of the University community -- alumni, friends, students, faculty and staff -- in a consultative, strategic planning process that looks at where the University wants to be 10 years from now. "Personally," he says, "I'd look at us being a global university in an international city."

Helping to bring international students to Canadian universities has long been one of his interests. Indeed, York's new vice-president played an important part in developing the successful concept of Canadian Education Centres overseas. "It began in Asia," he explains. "At a time when other countries were beginning to internationalize their campuses, we realized that Canada was missing a valuable opportunity. Many Asians wanted to send their children to off-shore schools, and we had a comparative advantage.

"So, about five years ago, the Canadian government decided to set up a network of centres in Asia -- to make information about Canadian institutions available and to develop alumni [information] banks. The concept has been quite successful and the network has been expanded to other continents."

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