Message from President Vivek Goel
Welcome. As President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Waterloo, I am proud to welcome you to our innovative institution.
The best and brightest are drawn to the University of Waterloo for our renowned academic programs, our world-leading co-operative education and our teaching and research excellence.
Waterloo has long fostered a culture of curiosity, exploration, risk-taking, entrepreneurship, global stewardship and leadership. In 1957, innovation and entrepreneurship brought University of Waterloo into being, as a group of business leaders imagined a new university built to tackle some of the world’s most daunting challenges.
Today, with more than 42,000+ students attending annually, Waterloo is #1 in Canada for experiential learning and employer-student connections. We bring bold ideas and brilliant minds together — inspiring innovations with global impact today and in the future.
During this period of rapid societal, technological and environmental change, our focus over the next few years is to continue to build on our unconventional foundation. We will position Waterloo to develop talent for a complex future, advance research for global impact and strengthen Waterloo’s sustainable and diverse communities.
Whether you are already part of our University community or looking to learn more about our institution, I invite you to connect with us, read our strategic plan or visit one of our campuses.
Sincerely,
Vivek Goel, CM
President and Vice-Chancellor
News
UWaterloo community tunes into hybrid President's Forum hosted from the Theatre of the Arts on October 3
October 5
More than 650 attendees from the University of Waterloo community participated in the first President’s Forum of the academic year, held on Monday, October 3. President Vivek Goel was joined by Sandra Banks, Vice-President, University Relations on stage at the Theatre of the Arts in front of a live audience, as hundreds more tuned in virtually. They reflected on the renewed energy felt on the University’s campuses and recent in-person celebrations and events. President Goel called attention in particular to the Indigenous Commitment Ceremony and Truth and Reconciliation Awareness Walk, noting the importance of these events and of the shared responsibility for everyone in the community to commit to personal learning and education about Truth and Reconciliation.
The president shared an overview of Waterloo at 100, a visioning exercise that looks ahead to the University of Waterloo’s 100th anniversary in 2057.
Earthquake in Türkiye and Syria
February 15
On behalf of the University of Waterloo, I want to express my condolences to our Turkish and Syrian community. I see the devastation, fear and grief caused by the recent earthquakes and I mourn with you.
It is the mission of this university to make the world a better place, and its times like these where I have full confidence that we will come together to support each other.
Celebrating Black History Month
February 1
The beginning of February marks the start of Black History Month 2023. The University of Waterloo is pleased to celebrate the diversity of people of African descent in Canada and their importance to the history and prosperity of this country. We must work together to help end racial profiling, eradicate barriers to employment and advancement and dismantle policies and processes that perpetuate disparities during Black History Month, and beyond.
Recent discover of unmarked graves
January 20
The University of Waterloo acknowledges and stands in support of Wauzhushk Onigum Nation regarding the recent announcement of 171 plausible burials at the St. Mary's Indian Residential School.
As an educational institution within Canada, we will continue to honour our commitment to Indigenous peoples, communities, histories and ways of knowing.
Waterloo connections to Order of Canada
January 4
Feridun Hamdullahpur and John Lounds were named members of the Order of Canada on December 29, 2022. Hamdullahpur’s honour is in recognition of his groundbreaking research in mechanical and mechatronics engineering and his visionary leadership in academia. Lounds, former president and CEO of Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC), was honoured for his substantial contributions to land conservation across the country.
Affirming Waterloo's commitment reconciliation
September 22
The Commitment Ceremony that took place this morning was truly an historic and momentous occasion for our institution as we affirmed our commitment to Reconciliation, Indigenization and decolonization. I was honoured to offer both my personal commitment and my commitment as president and vice-chancellor of the University of Waterloo.
Strengthening Waterloo’s global collaborations
July 14
The challenges facing humanity are increasingly global in scale and require a more interdisciplinary and collaborative approach to uncovering solutions. It is why we work hard to build and foster international collaborations with institutions around the world. President Goel discusses the importance of international collaborations and partnerships to the University of Waterloo.