In January 2016, the UBC Board of Governors approved the creation of the UBC Excellence Fund to advance academic excellence and strengthen UBC in the years to come.
From the previously approved increase in international student tuition, a share of the revenue is directed to the Academic Excellence Fund, which supports initiatives that will ensure:
- The recruitment and retention of exemplary faculty members and students,
- The conduct of innovative, cutting-edge research, and
- An excellent student learning experience.
What defines "Excellence"?
The Terms of Reference for the UBC Excellence Fund state that "Excellence” is “one characteristic among the factors that could be considered, that inarguably distinguishes world-class universities from all the others: having outstanding students, researchers and teachers, and staff.
To achieve our ambitions, we must create an environment that draws the very best undergraduate and graduate students from across the country, and internationally. These are the leaders, the discoverers, the creators of tomorrow, and they will come to UBC if we provide an outstanding learning environment – one that employs pedagogy that research has shown to be most effective and that supports learners to realize their full potential.
Similarly, we must attract, support and retain outstanding faculty members – those researchers, teachers, scholars, and artists who, by never failing to question, analyze and create, change lives and society for the better.”
UBC President's Excellence Chairs
The President’s Excellence Chairs were created to attract great faculty who will enable cutting-edge research and an excellent student learning experience to attract top students. The recruitment of outstanding faculty to areas in which UBC already has tremendous strength will attract increased levels of research funding, which will attract other outstanding faculty and the best students. UBC will have the privilege to yield a diverse class of exceptional graduate and undergraduate students – intellectually curious, academically gifted, and socially engaged.
The chairs are in the following areas: Biodiversity Studies, Brain Health, Forest Bio-products, Global Migration, Precision Oncology, Network Cultures and Healthy Aging. Each chair has an estimated value of $3-5 million. Further information on each position is available on this site.
Confirmed appointments
- Biodiversity Studies: Dr. Claire Kremen
- Forest Bio-products: Dr. Emily Cranston
- Brain Health: Dr. Sophia Frangou
- Healthy Aging: Dr. Michael S. Kobor
- Network Cultures: Dr. Kavita Philip