On Wednesday, July 24, President Hamdullahpur led a delegation from the University of Waterloo to Australia’s Monash University, where the president and his Monash University counterpart, Vice-Chancellor Ed Byrne, signed an extension to the two universities’ Memorandum of Understanding, extending the globe-spanning partnership well into the future.
President Hamdullahpur and Vice-Chancellor Byrne hailed the MOU extension as an outstanding example of international and interdisciplinary research collaboration.
“The University of Waterloo is delighted that Monash University, which shares so much in common with Waterloo, will continue to be a key member of our global network of research partnerships,” said President Hamdullahpur.
Monash University was founded in 1958 – just one year after the establishment of the University of Waterloo – by Sir John Monash, a civil engineer who also served Australia with distinction during the First World War as a senior army officer.
The University of Waterloo’s point-person on internationalization, Associate Vice-President Nello Angerilli, notes that like Waterloo, Monash is known as a highly innovative upstart on the international scene.
“These universities were founded in the same era, they share a reputation for innovation, and they’re both thoroughly entrepreneurial not only in terms of their activities, but in terms of their organizational cultures,” Angerilli said. “It’s a perfect match, and enables both institutions to add serious depth and reach to their international portfolios.”
Similarly to Waterloo’s membership Canada’s prestigious U15 – the top 15 research-intensive universities in the country – Monash is part of Australia’s equivalent, the “G8”.
“Strategic international partnerships are essential in today’s post-secondary education system,” said President Hamdullahpur. “Monash University and the University of Waterloo are ideal partners.”
For a full listing of Waterloo’s international partnerships visit the International Programs page. Learn more about Monash University by visiting its homepage.
