Canadian National today announced a $1.25 million donation to the
University of British Columbia to create the CN Chair in Transportation
and International Logistics. UBC will match CN’s gift to establish
the $2.5-million CN chair.
The interdisciplinary chair will focus on research and teaching
in the fields of operations, logistics, supply chain management,
land use planning and community decision-making, leading to improved
overall efficiency in the world’s transportation sector.
“UBC has a strong commitment to foster a truly international university
and our partnership with the North American rail industry leader
means that we will be able to attract more top international scholars
and students in this field,” said UBC President Martha Piper.
“CN is proud to be a partner with UBC,” said CN president and
chief executive officer Paul M. Tellier. “This chair will help develop
new expertise and lead research in transportation and logistics.
Canada’s economic competitiveness and prosperity depends very much
on the continued strength of its freight railroads. For that reason,
this field of study builds for the future.”
The endowment will support a unique collaboration, bringing together
transportation expertise from UBC’s Faculty of Graduate Studies’
School of Community and Regional Planning, as well as the Faculty
of Commerce and Business Administration.
Home of Canada’s oldest academic and professional graduate planning
program, the School of Community and Regional Planning maintains
a strong focus on urban land use and transportation planning with
expertise in integrated policy and planning research, professional
education and community service.
Commerce’s Centre for Transportation Studies fosters research
and outreach on economic and public policy issues in transportation
and logistics while the Operations and Logistics division offers
a specialization in transportation and logistics at the undergraduate
and master’s level.
Building on the university’s strong research and teaching in transportation,
logistics and public policy, the chair will conduct research that
contributes to national and international dialogue in the transportation
sector. UBC and CN will share expertise and new learning through
workshops, conferences and executive training in the partnership.
“It is our goal to acquire the human and physical resources to
develop a globally significant capability in the area of transportation
and logistics,” said Faculty of Graduate Studies Dean Frieda Granot.
“The new chair will create an important and permanent strength in
teaching and research in the transportation sector.”
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