Ep. 301: Leaving a legacy for Simon Fraser University

Guest: Andrew Petter, President & Vice-Chancellor of SFU

As he wraps up ten years at the helm at Simon Fraser University, Andrew Petter says, “Universities are more important now than ever. In a post-COVID environment, universities have a vitally important role to play in scientific research, addressing workplace dislocation with retraining of talented people who will play a role in restarting and shifting the economy.”

Petter says that the role of the university is paramount in addressing “diversity, equality, inclusion and innovation in a greener economy.” COVID-19 has exposed inequalities in society and in the workplace. Petter says, “Many of the people who work on the frontlines have been hard hit. There is now an opportunity to harness education right across the spectrum to harness the capacity of education to retrain and upskill people and, in doing so, provide them with greater opportunities and level the playing field.”

We invited Andrew Petter to join us for a Conversation That Matters about his term as President of Simon Fraser University, how it has changed and grown during his term, and his thoughts about the future of university education.