The University of Toronto marked its 199th anniversary on March 15, and as it prepares for its bicentennial in 2027, President Melanie Woodin says the role of U of T in Canada - and the world - has never been more critical.
As a globally recognized academic and research powerhouse, U of T has "an incredible opportunity and responsibility" as the world increasingly looks to Canada for leadership amid growing geopolitical strife and technological uncertainty.
It's also a time for U of T community members to think about how they can contribute to the university's next era, she says, adding that U of T has a long history of supporting the country through world wars and economic downturns - all while contributing high-impact discoveries in areas ranging from health care to sustainability and artificial intelligence.
Woodin recently spoke to U of T News about the university's impact, the responsibilities that come with its mission and scale and the many ways students, faculty, librarians, staff, alumni and partners can get involved as excitement for the bicentennial year builds.
How is U of T helping Canada navigate what can only be described as unprecedented times for Canada and the world?
People are increasingly looking to Canada as a place of leadership and a safe haven at a time of strife and uncertainty in the world - so, as Canada's flagship university, we have an incredible opportunity and responsibility to bring leading scholars together from around the globe to tackle society's most challenging problems.
We have a prime minister who has committed to making Canada's economy the top in the G7 - and the only way we're going to get there is if we have the top minds. That's why we've been leading the way in recent years with lots of high-profile recruitments . We're also grateful to the federal government for the Impact+ Research Chairs program - and I'm excited that, with our hospital partners, we're nominating a number of superstars in the first round.
At the same time, we're working to ensure our graduates are ready to meet significant shifts in the labour market. Just last week, U of T and George Brown Polytechnic announced a partnership that will help fill the province's emerging talent needs - similar to the way in which U of T Scarborough has partnered with Centennial College, and U of T Mississauga with Sheridan College.
Speaking of talent development, how do you see the connection between U of T and the Canadian economy?
U of T's mission revolves around excellence in teaching and research - and it's those two pillars that define our relationship to the economy.
On the teaching side, U of T and our partners are developing innovative programs and degrees to ensure that our graduates are critical thinkers who are career-ready and equipped to help drive our economy.
At the same time, our researchers are regularly publishing groundbreaking papers and are highly motivated to mobilize their knowledge outside the university - whether it's by sharing their insights with Canadians through traditional and social media, or government, industry and academic partners from around the world to ensure they have the knowledge they need to realize their goals.
U of T students, faculty, staff and alumni are also founding new ventures, through the incredible ecosystem of innovation and entrepreneurship across our three campuses. We're supporting them by building an environment with the necessary expertise - our recent agreement with BioLabs to run the city's largest wet-lab incubator for life sciences startups is one example - and access to capital to allow them grow and scale their businesses right here at home.
The acceleration of our entrepreneurial ecosystem has been on a steep curve. Some of the ventures that have emerged from U of T - such as self-driving truck company Waabi, which recently raised $1 billion , or Cohere, one of the world's leading large language model companies - are now household names to many Canadians.
Beyond research and education, what role do you envision for a large public university such as U of T - an institution that is older than Canada itself?
One of the features that I'm really proud of, and that distinguishes us from peer institutions - all of which have the mission of excellence in teaching and research - is the access we provide to education and excellence at scale.
As our alum Malcolm Gladwell noted in an interview on CBC News , while many of our peers pride themselves on the number of students they keep out, we pride ourselves on the number that we accept. In fact, we accept more undergraduate students in any given year as all the Ivy League institutions combined.
U of T's Policy on Student Financial Support ensures that no Canadian or permanent resident "offered admission to a program at the University of Toronto should be unable to enter or complete the program due to lack of financial means." This is a very compelling value proposition for a flagship institution in Canada - one that is routinely ranked as a top global university and among the top 10 public universities world .
When you reflect on the achievements and challenges of U of T's first 199 years, what inspires you as we head into our third century?
We're currently experiencing a renewed sense of national pride and purpose in Canada, which makes it a good time to reflect on the myriad ways U of T has contributed to Canada's prosperity and sovereignty over the years.
Consider the ways the U of T community stepped up to serve Canada in the First and Second World Wars through their service in the armed forces and through critical research contributions in engineering, medicine and aviation .
We should also reflect on the discovery of insulin, an effective, lifelong treatment for diabetes, and more recently, seminal research on the gut hormone GLP-1 by Daniel Drucker and Patricia Brubaker that has resulted in effective treatments for diabetes and obesity.
You can also look to Geoffrey Hinton's Nobel Prize-winning discovery of deep learning through neural nets - a transformational breakthrough that will define this period in history.
And then of course the U of T community is a massive force for good, in building a culture of inclusion and creativity in every field. Think of our leaders in law, public policy and the arts - in every generation U of T has played a key role in shaping our society as a beacon of hope for the world, and that role is more important now than ever.
You've been a member of the U of T community for over three decades as a student, faculty member, academic leader and president. How have you seen U of T evolve in this time?
I've seen U of T become much more connected to the city, the province and the country.
For a long time, many people in the Toronto region - even many residents living close to our three campuses - didn't know what was happening here and why it mattered in their daily lives.
I think we've made great progress in that regard. People now recognize they have one of the world's top higher education institutions in their backyard - whether in Mississauga, Scarborough or downtown Toronto - and can envisage their children studying here, or furthering their own education at U of T.
Increasingly, people also see the work being done brings real benefits to their lives. This has been aided by a heightened focus on conducting research across traditional boundaries and mobilizing that knowledge for society's benefit. This is exemplified by the work of centres such as the School of Cities and the Centre for Global Engineering , which are tackling major challenges ranging from affordable housing and community-building to sustainable transportation infrastructure.
As U of T prepares for its bicentennial next year, why - and how - should community members get involved?
Next year is going to be one of the most memorable at U of T, with a series of events throughout the year that will provide a unique opportunity to reflect, celebrate and imagine how this university - and the people who give it its energy and purpose - can continue to build on a legacy of excellence, equity and impact.
I want our bicentennial celebrations to be so inspiring that every student who's here during that period says, 'I'm so grateful that I was a student during the bicentennial because the experiences I enjoyed and the things I learned through that year reinforced why I chose U of T - and shaped my life and my career trajectory.'
We want the entire U of T community to take part. That's why we've set up several channels where you can share your ideas. The best place to start is the bicentennial planning website , where you can submit feedback and connect with members of the Bicentennial Secretariat and the various working groups as programming is being developed over the coming months.
It's going to be a yearlong celebration. Everyone's invited so mark your calendars - and get involved!
