Food Security at UBC
On November 3, 2022, I sent the following letter to the co-presidents of UBC Sprouts: Gizel Gedik and Delanie Austin Co-Presidents UBC Sprouts Board Room 0001C, 6138 Student Union Blvd. Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z1 Dear Gisele and Delanie: Thank you for your letter of October 21, 2022, regarding food security at UBC. I would also […]
Welcome Back!
03 Welcome back to campus and the start of the 2022-23 academic year! I hope you all had a good summer. Welcome Students This week, UBC welcomes thousands of new and returning students to our campuses and learning sites. Thousands of new students are coming to our Okanagan and Vancouver campuses from across British Columbia, […]
“Words Cannot Express the Depth of Our Sorrow”
Dear members of the UBC community. This week we are grieving for the loss of two students, whose lives were horribly cut short. It is difficult to comprehend and express the enormity of the loss of these two bright and promising young adults, who were part of the UBC family. Words cannot express the depth […]
Weekly Update: May 22, 2020
Dear members of the UBC community. I hope that you and your loved ones are staying safe and healthy. We’ve seen in the news lately that we’re definitely flattening the curve here in BC – thanks to all of us doing our part – and the province is gradually beginning to re-open. Not only that, […]
Weekly Update: April 3, 2020
Dear Members of the UBC Community: I hope that you and your loved ones are well and that you are staying safe. First, I’d like to share some good news. A few UBC faculty members, post-doctoral fellows and graduate students were caught in a travel ban in Peru. At least one faculty member and one […]
Spring Graduation: An Update
Many people, including students, faculty and staff, have been asking about the university’s plans for one of the highlights of the year, spring graduation. Today, I’d like to update you on our plans for this special event. I love graduation. Seeing our graduating students celebrating with their loved ones, always fills me with pride. This […]
A Message to Students: The importance of physical distancing
Dear students, As you know, the university, the region and the country are working as hard as possible to flatten the curve of COVID-19’s spread in the population. Everyone has a role to play – including you. Our Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, and our Provincial Health Officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry, have been very clear – […]
Statement on UIA 752 Tragedy
I am profoundly saddened to confirm that two former UBC students are among those reportedly killed in the Ukrainian International Airlines Flight 752 tragedy in Iran. Details of this incident are still developing, but the names of Zeynab Asadi Lari and Mohammadhossein Asadi Lari appear on the flight manifest. Zeynab enrolled at UBC in 2016 […]
Putting Students First with the Blue & Gold Campaign
I am always delighted to spend time with our students in Vancouver and the Okanagan and today I got to do both as I welcomed thousands of new students to our campuses in two boisterous rallies! In addition to welcoming the students, I also had the great pleasure of announcing that not only had the Blue […]
Tuum Est: How shall I change the world for the better?
Imagine, UBC Vancouver Welcome UBC Class of 2022! Look forward to communicating with you over the years. Say hello on campus. Or connect through social media (@UBCPrez) World Class University, #25 in NTU, #27 US News 3 Prime Ministers of Canada, 8 Nobel Laureates, 65 Olympic Medalists, 71 Rhodes Scholars, and has >300 faculty members […]
Welcome to UBC!
Welcome to UBC! You’re joining a special community – a community of 65,000 students – students like you, who come from more than 150 countries to study at one of the top universities in the world. You’re starting on an exciting period in your lives. You will meet new friends, discover new interests. Maybe, […]
UBC providing supports for students from Saudi Arabia
The University of British Columbia continues to assist students ordered to cease studies at Canadian universities by the government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. UBC has about 280 new and returning students with Saudi Arabian citizenship in English-language, undergraduate, postgraduate, and graduate programs. Of that number, about 80% are sponsored by the Saudi Arabian […]
Building a more inclusive campus community
Tomorrow is shaped by what we hear today. I love the sound of my cello. I can lose myself for hours, practicing just one small refrain. But playing alone – the sound of just one cello – doesn’t compare to the experience of playing in a trio or quartet. If we continue adding more players […]
Getting closer to where you want to be
Welcome to 2018! I hope everybody had a wonderful holiday break and is refreshed and ready for the new year. A new year means different things to different people. To me, a new year means a chance to reflect on the year that’s gone by and to think about what I hope to achieve in […]
The Blue & Gold campaign: Change their world so they can change ours
Earlier this year, I wrote in this space that we need to support the UBC students who are determined to make a better world. As I wrote at the time, “Thank goodness for the dreamers among our world’s youth. It is because of them that I remain hopeful about the future of Planet Earth.” But […]
The Changing Role of Higher Education: Developing the Next Generation of Global Leaders
The Ismaili Centre, Burnaby, April 18, 2017 It’s an honour and privilege to be with you, in this strikingly beautiful Ismaili Centre. For nearly four decades, the Ismaili Centre has offered spaces for spiritual contemplation, as well as social, cultural and intellectual gatherings. The Centre truly does provide a bridge to friendship and understanding for […]
Welcoming First-Year Class
UBC President Professor Arvind Gupta addresses the incoming first-year class.
To: All UBC Students, Faculty and Staff
I will be stepping down as President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of British Columbia at the end of June 2014, after serving for eight years in what has been an inspiring and rewarding position.