UBC might be based in British Columbia, but is a very global institution, notes Dr. Murali Chandrashekaran, Vice-Provost, International. With faculty, staff and students from all over the world, the university has connections with individuals everywhere, spanning countries and continents. UBC is also a leading research institution.
“What that means is that we have the capacity to engage with problems and challenges we are facing as human beings and a planet – and that we have a responsibility to play a part in addressing those challenges along with everybody else,” says Dr. Chandrashekaran, also Sauder School of Business Director of the Robert H. Lee Graduate School and Associate Dean of Professional Graduate Programs.
Empowering people to do just that is the role of the Office of the Vice-Provost International (OVPI). The mandate, Dr. Chandrashekaran says, “is to capitalize opportunities for faculty, staff and students to make their mark in the world; for scholars to connect with challenges, other people, other institutions, to think about their research and how it can transform this world. It is about creating partnerships – not just with academic institutions, but with a range of partners: colleges and universities, community organizations, cities, corporations and countries. So that we, together, can begin to serve one another on the global stage.”
Listen to Dr. Chandrashekaran discussing the OVPI, what it is and the role it plays at UBC.
Listen to the full interview with the UBC School of Biomedical Engineering on the SBME Interfaces program.
Watch the full interview on YouTube.
Read more about UBC’s OVPI, its units and services to faculty, staff and students.