Welcome to the University of Calgary, a lively community of transformative teaching, learning, research, culture and athletics where we are building a brighter future. It’s no secret that Calgary is Western Canada’s fastest growing urban centre, a global tech and innovation hub, ranked third most liveable city in the world, with the highest GDP per capita of all major Canadian cities. When you discover the University of Calgary, you join an engaged campus of students, faculty, staff and alumni who are the spark fuelling Canada’s most enterprising city.
UCalgary has also earned a reputation as Canada’s most entrepreneurial university. We’re passionate about our entrepreneurial mindset, whether it’s expressed as creative ways of addressing social challenges, designing more sustainable communities, pushing boundaries in the arts, or inventing a new business model. These skills include seeking out opportunities where others see problems, adapting to solve challenges in low-resource situations, being able to pitch an idea, working effectively in teams and learning from failure. The competencies of entrepreneurial thinking prepare UCalgary students for an uncertain and changing world, confident in their own abilities to change the status quo, invent new products, new services, new ways of thinking, as disruptors. We believe UCalgary is the best place to Start Something and the Association of University Technology Managers agrees, ranking our campus as the No. 1 start-up creator among all research institutions in Canada.
Our campus community is the catalyst that starts a chain reaction and unlocks possibilities. There are so many opportunities to stoke your curiosity, fuel discovery and nurture community engagement at the University of Calgary. Get involved with a wealth of extracurricular activities to enhance your university experience, including over 300 student clubs, 50 intramural sports, volunteer opportunities, study abroad programs and leadership opportunities. There’s always something happening on our campuses: Clubs Week, Networking 101, the Crowchild Classic, the UCalgary Strong Festival, the Emerging Leaders Program, School of Creative and Performing Arts live performances, Nickle Galleries exhibitions, Dinos Athletics games and much more.
The 2023-24 academic year is yet another opportunity for our campus community to shine by transforming ideas into reality, working across disciplines to address complex problems and defying convention through courageous thinking. It’s time to take your place at the University of Calgary and to Start Something.
Ed McCauley, PhD, FRSC
President and Vice-Chancellor
Welcome