Vice-Provost, International
The Provost is pleased to announce that the Board of Governors has accepted the President’s recommendation to appoint Dr. Murali Chandrashekaran as the Vice-Provost, International for a five-year term, commencing September 1, 2017.
Dr. Chandrashekaran, the Fred H. Siller Professor of Marketing and Behavioural Science, is currently Senior Associate Dean, Strategic Partnerships and Global Initiatives, in the Sauder School of Business. He obtained his B.Tech in Electrical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology–Madras, and his Ph.D. in Marketing from Arizona State University.
He came to UBC in 2011, joining the Sauder School of Business as Director of the Robert H. Lee Graduate School and as Associate Dean, Professional Graduate Programs. Prior to coming to UBC, Dr. Chandrashekaran held professorial and administrative positions in the business schools at the University of Cincinnati and the University of New South Wales.
Dr. Chandrashekaran is a strong proponent of collaborative and multi-disciplinary research and study. He has been instrumental in developing and nurturing programs and networks for faculty and students across the University, and across institutions locally and globally. He has forged relationships and partnerships with academic and community institutions in North and South America, Europe and Asia.
Dr. Chandrashekaran serves as the UBC representative to the Global Network for Advanced Management (GNAM), a network of 29 leading international business schools, of which UBC is the only Canadian partner. As a GNAM Senior Research Fellow, he is leading the creation of a global Collaborative on Urban Resilience and Effectiveness (CURE), bringing together expertise across disciplines and institutions to drive urban prosperity, innovation and development.
He was also the Chair of the Americas Region for the Partnership in International Management network (PIM), a consortium of 60 leading international business schools, and has co-chaired the last two annual PIM conferences, held in Brazil and India.
During his time as Associate Dean, Professional Graduate Programs and Director of the Robert H. Lee Graduate School, he reviewed and implemented changes to the MBA program, which included introducing the mandatory Global Immersion program, requiring students to travel to international destinations and work, along with counterparts at local business schools, on consulting projects with local businesses and community organizations. He also led the creation and launch of the UBC ‘Bachelors+Master of Management’ Dual Degree program that has significantly grown the size of the graduate school and created strong bridges between the Sauder School of Business and other faculties at UBC.
As Vice-Provost, International, Dr. Chandrashekaran will provide leadership in shepherding the University’s diverse and complex international activities on both campuses, and in advancing UBC’s international strategic priorities. Dr. Chandrashekaran will report to the Provost and Vice-President Academic in Vancouver and will work closely with the Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Principal (DVC) and the Advisor to the DVC on International Initiatives in the Okanagan.
The Provost is grateful to members of the President’s Advisory Committee for their time and commitment throughout the search.
The Provost would also like to thank Dr. Pam Ratner, who, in addition to her role as Vice-Provost and Associate Vice-President Enrolment and Academic Facilities, has been serving in this role on a pro tem basis since last November. Her leadership in overseeing UBC’s internationally focused units and initiatives has been greatly appreciated.