WATERLOO, Ont. (Friday, Nov. 4, 2011) - The University of Waterloo - ranked one of the world's top 100 universities and top by reputation in Canada - will open an office in Hong Kong Saturday, Nov. 5 to strengthen ties with the Hong Kong community. President Feridun Hamdullahpur is in Hong Kong for the opening, where he will host members of the business community, partners, alumni and students at the opening event.

"In an era where we have seen the emergence of a global digital economy, it's critical that universities reach out internationally to collaborate, educate and influence," said Hamdullahpur. "We have 1,500 graduates living and working in Hong Kong, and more than 2,800 Asian students currently enrolled at the university, comprising 41 per cent of our international student population. We welcome connecting even more closely with the community in Hong Kong through our newly established office, furthering collaboration and extending our international engagement."

Co-operative education programs have become a hallmark of the University of Waterloo's reputation, enabling students to have real-life experience in their field of endeavour, and giving employers an avenue for identifying and hiring exceptional graduates. Waterloo is the global leader in co-operative education.

"The University of Waterloo strives to create citizens of the world who not only achieve academic credentials, but who have a broad perspective attained through an understanding of diverse cultures. That's the goal of our international co-operative education and student exchange programs," said Hamdullahpur.

The new office is located at The Malahon Center in the business district at the heart of downtown Hong Kong, and will have full-time staff supported by Waterloo co-op student placements. The office will enable the university to establish deeper connections in the Hong Kong community where Waterloo already interacts with businesses, professional organizations, partners, alumni, students and their families.

While in Hong Kong, Hamdullahpur will also participate in a luncheon event on Monday, Nov. 7 hosted by The Canadian Chamber of Commerce, along with Waterloo graduate Jason Chiu, founder and CEO of Cherrypicks Group, a Red Herring Asia 100 company.

The university president is also spending time during his tour with members of industry and university partners in Hong Kong. The University of Waterloo is an innovation engine that has historically made a strong contribution to economic prosperity.

"Waterloo has had a major impact on companies that have evolved from projects at the university or have been initiated by outstanding students and faculty such as Research In Motion, OpenText and iAnywhere Solutions (since acquired by Sybase) which are all headquartered in Canada's Waterloo Region, and we look forward to further success stories," said Hamdullahpur.

About the University of Waterloo

In just half a century, the University of Waterloo, located at the heart of Canada's Technology Triangle, has become one of Canada's leading comprehensive universities with close to 30,000 full- and part-time students in undergraduate and graduate programs. Waterloo, as home to the world's largest post-secondary co-operative education program, embraces its connections to the world and encourages enterprising partnerships in learning, research and discovery. In the next decade, the university is committed to building a better future for Canada and the world by championing innovation and collaboration to create solutions relevant to the needs of today and tomorrow. For more information about Waterloo, visit www.uwaterloo.ca

Contact:

Shelley Grandy, segrandy@sympatico.ca

Waterloo news release no. 64

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