This morning civic, business, and community leaders from around the Waterloo region joined host President Hamdullahpur at the Mike and Ophelia Lazaridis Quantum-Nano Centre at the University of Waterloo for the first annual President's Community Breakfast.
At the event, the university announced its intention to establish a more robust community relations strategy in the months ahead. This work will include a series of conversations co-hosted by the President’s Office and community leaders. Dialogue will focus on how the university can strengthen its collaboration related to issues such as arts and culture, education, economic development, the environment, and well-being.
Thursday's inaugural breakfast event centred on the University of Waterloo's new Economic Impact Study, released to the public only hours before the event.
"The University of Waterloo is an economic powerhouse and an engine of prosperity for the region, province, and country," said President Hamdullahpur. "With a total economic impact of more than $2.6 billion, we are driving prosperity and opportunity for the Waterloo region and beyond."
The breakfast event was an ideal opportunity to share that story with the university's community partners.
"We tremendously value our partnerships, and it's vital that we reach out and show those partners how we're contributing to the local economy and community," said Kelly McManus, the University of Waterloo's senior director for community relations. "The Economic Impact Study helps us to do just that, in a clear, data-driven way. This morning was an excellent event, and our Economic Impact Study is an incredibly positive message to share."
Other highlights from the study include:
- The university is a leading source of highly skilled employees that companies depend on for their ongoing success.
- 72 per cent of companies surveyed in Waterloo Region said they depend on University of Waterloo graduates and students as a source of employment. Of those, 44 per cent said that Waterloo students and graduates made up more than half of their workforce.
- The university fosters a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship, which helps facilitate the commercialization of ideas and research.
- The university helps generate and attract a critical mass of talent and highly qualified personnel within Waterloo Region.
- The university facilitates linkages and collaboration across the Waterloo Region Innovation Ecosystem, which further enhances the innovation process and generating additional economic impact across Ontario.
President Hamdullahpur addresses the breakfast audience of community leaders.