The Board of Governors of The University of British Columbia has reappointed Prof. Stephen J. Toope to a second term of five years as President and Vice Chancellor.
Toope was originally appointed to a five-year term that began on July 1, 2006.
“Stephen Toope has been a remarkable leader in UBC’s progress toward becoming one of the world’s great research-intensive universities,” said Board Chair Brad Bennett. “His leadership has contributed to a particularly positive atmosphere throughout the university that is conducive to learning, research and civil discourse. He has also succeeded in creating a sense of pride in British Columbians that their oldest, largest, and most internationally recognized university is truly a significant global presence.”
During his first term, Bennett said, Toope has overseen significant growth in academic and infrastructure programs on both campuses of the University, and in particular on UBC’s new Okanagan campus. He has spearheaded major campus operational and academic sustainability programs, new aboriginal initiatives, and has substantially increased community engagement in the university, especially amongst alumni. He has also achieved budget stability in challenging economic times. His second term as President will be driven by the University’s new strategic plan, Place and Promise, that was created under his stewardship.
Toope said his second term goals include building on the university’s strengths. “A remarkable student body, first-rate teachers and researchers, dedicated staff and engaged alumni – these are all prerequisites for building a globally influential university,” he said. “UBC is blessed with these in abundance.
“During my second term, I hope to focus even more on expanding the learning opportunities for all students, building up UBC’s research profile internationally, and creating even more vibrant partnerships with the wider community. UBC’s fundamental commitment to fostering global citizenship while advancing a civil and sustainable society will underpin all my efforts.”
Toope is UBC’s 12th president since 1913, when Frank Wesbrook first held the leadership of an institution that has since grown to more than 50,000 students and 20,000 faculty and staff with annual expenditures approaching $2 billion.
Backgrounder
Biography of Prof. Stephen J. Toope
Professor Stephen J. Toope was named the 12th President of The University of British Columbia on March 22, 2006. His five-year term began in July 2006.
An International Law scholar who represented Western Europe and North America on the UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances from 2002-2007, Prof. Toope’s academic interests include public international law, legal theory, human rights, international dispute resolution, and family law.
Prof. Toope is active with many associations, currently serving as Chair, World University Services Canada (WUSC), Director of the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC), Member of the Research Council of the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR), and Chair, The Research Universities’ Council of British Columbia (RUCBC).
Prior to joining UBC, Professor Toope was President of the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation, a position he held since 2002. The Foundation is an independent, private, and non-partisan organization created to promote outstanding research and interaction between researchers in the social sciences and humanities, and the wider society. From 1994-1999, Prof. Toope served as the dean of McGill University’s Faculty of Law. Previously, he served as Law Clerk to the Rt. Hon. Chief Justice Dickson of the Supreme Court of Canada from 1986-1987. He continues to conduct research and teach on many aspects of international law and is currently working on issues of human rights and culture, and the origins of obligation in international society. His latest book is Legitimacy and Legality in International Law: an Interactional Account, published by Cambridge University Press in the summer of 2010.
A Canadian citizen, Professor Toope earned his PhD from Trinity College, Cambridge, (1987), his degrees in common law (LLB) and civil law (BCL) with honours from McGill University (1983), and graduated magna cum laude with his AB in History and Literature from Harvard University (1979).
Stephen Toope is married to Paula Rosen and they have three high school and university-aged children.