Occasional updates, comments, and reflections from President Feridun Hamdullahpur
Dear University of Waterloo Community,
Many of us have watched the news over the past week of the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis and the rise in protests across the world. I know some in our University community may have participated in protests to stand in solidarity against racism, violence and oppression.
I stand with you. I stand with your frustration. I stand with your anger. I stand with your sadness. And, I stand with your call for action.
Canada is a diverse country, but still racism, oppression and intolerance happen here, too often.
I know it has been said repeatedly over the past several weeks but there is no doubt that the University of Waterloo has undergone a great deal of change in a short amount of time. We are collectively navigating uncharted territory for any post-secondary institution. Decisions are being made quickly as situations arise and as we react to an ever-evolving environment dominated by the need for public safety.
I know I am not alone in saying this, but the last month has been a trying one. COVID-19 has challenged everyone in the University of Waterloo community, and around the world, to levels that have never been encountered before. What I have also seen is a community that has pushed forward every step of the way.
The final three weeks and exam period of this Winter Term have been transformed out of necessity for greater needs of public health and safety. The health and wellness of our students, faculty, staff and broader community will always remain our number one priority. At the same time, we have a dedication to keeping the quality of our academic experience strong and moving.
For the last few weeks we have mobilized our skills, time and resources to slow the spread of coronavirus. We've done this as each of us has also adjusted to new work and study environments at home or at a distance.
Waterloo remains committed to maintaining and fostering a thriving community
After careful consideration, aided through guidance from all levels of government, Public Health and our peer institutions from across Canada, I announced that the University of Waterloo has suspended on-campus courses until March 23. All in-person course activity is cancelled until the end of term, including in-person final exams, due to the continuing challenges COVID-19 has created.
There are few experiences as exciting as watching a pitch competition at the University of Waterloo. The student-entrepreneurs are full of passion, focus and expertise that they are utilizing to create truly unique and groundbreaking ventures. It is quite inspiring, but it’s only the tip of the entrepreneurial iceberg at Waterloo.
The ventures that have come out of the hard work of thousands of Waterloo students and graduates continue to disrupt industries and make significant contributions to our local, regional and national economies. In the third and final part of my Economic Impact Series, I am going to explore the wide-ranging and ongoing contributions of Waterloo’s entrepreneurship programs and talented entrepreneurs.
Change happens all around us on a daily basis. I see change in the discoveries made here on campus. I see it in the young and talented minds who come here to learn and live every day. Today our community marks something that goes beyond those subtle, everyday changes, but recognizes a movement that lasts generations. Today we celebrate International Women’s Day.
When I am connecting with government officials, post-secondary administrators and industry leaders from around the world, I am most often asked about Waterloo’s co-op program.
I get questions about its benefits to the students, to the learning process, to business, to research, to the University and about how it impacts society. With more than 60 years of experience with co-operative education, it’s clear to me that our co-op does all of these.
Co-op is in our DNA. It has been part of our institution from its very founding and after six decades of evolution it is delivering for our students, our employer partners and for Canada.
To be relevant and truly distinctive, universities around the world must have a unique role to play in society. We need to educate and train generations of talented citizens with a renewed purpose as we wrap it together with a dedication to enabling curiosity-driven discoveries from our exceptional researchers and faculty members. That’s why universities are vital to the economic health of nations.
That is exactly what we have been doing right here at the University of Waterloo from day one.
I had the honour of once again joining more than 3,000 business and government officials at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland this past week. With it came Insights and observations on the state of the world economically, socially and politically; and connections with other universities, research institutions and industry partners.
Though I could write an entire book about the activities and discussions at the WEF, I wanted to take the opportunity to share some of my thoughts on my recent time in Davos and the future state of post-secondary education, Canada and the University of Waterloo.
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