UAlberta makes mark in local and international communities with research initiatives
UAlberta tops research and seeks partnerships in China
Every decision made inside the walls of the University of Alberta (UAlberta) is influenced by one simple yet meaningful principle: it must be for the public good.
Rather than confining the learning process in an academic setting, UAlberta trains its culturally diverse student body to look beyond the classroom and use education as an avenue to discover breakthroughs that will make a positive impact in local and international communities.
UAlberta’s students and faculty have been leaving their mark in society for more than a century. Pioneering its clinical use, UAlberta faculty James Collip was among those who isolated and refined insulin for diabetes treatment, nearly 100 years ago.
Since this breakthrough, UAlberta has been at the forefront of diabetes research, particularly on insulin-making cells called islets.
Another UAlberta faculty put the university on the map in 1998, when his research team published the Edmonton Protocol — a procedure used in 40 countries wherein islet cells are injected into the liver to treat type 1 diabetes.
“We are one of the most comprehensive research institutions in the country. Our researchers want their research to matter and make a difference,” says president David Turpin.
UAlberta has a long and illustrious history of leadership in the areas of humanities, sciences, creative arts, business, engineering and health sciences, with its 200 undergraduate and 500 graduate programmes.
The university employs experts and professionals in many fields to hone its students. UAlberta employs more 3M National Teaching Fellows — faculty members who have received the highest awards for teaching excellence — than any university in the country.
Aside from its esteemed faculty, UAlberta is also renowned globally for its excellent standards. This is reaffirmed by various university rankings: top 4 in Canada and top 90 in the world in the QS World University Rankings. It is in the top 0.5 per cent globally in the Center for World University Rankings.
Under the tutelage of some of the brightest minds in the world, UAlberta students build on the university’s pioneering legacy in research and lead the study on areas such as health sciences, energy, environment, and artificial intelligence.
We aim to be considered one of the most valuable academic partners in the world to countries such as China and India
“What we do at UAlberta is build, experience, excel, engage and sustain. We build a great university by attracting great students, faculty and staff. We champion experiential learning for students,”
Turpin says. “We strive for international excellence in our areas of distinction. We engage, reach out to and partner with local and international communities. Finally, the challenge is to achieve economic, environmental, social and cultural sustainability.”
UAlberta’s impressive track record continues to attract students all over Canada and the rest of the globe, making the university truly multicultural. In particular, many China Scholarship Council award winners choose to study in UAlberta.
Furthermore, roughly 60 per cent of UAlberta’s international undergraduate students come from Asia.
As Canada-Asia relations continue to flourish, UAlberta seeks to strengthen its current partnerships in China, India, Singapore and Vietnam to explore more research opportunities.
In China alone, UAlberta has more than 140 agreements with the public and private sectors. Actively working in China for more than 20 years, the university has embarked on collaborative projects such as building a joint centre for energy research in Beijing with Tsinghua University.
“I think it’s critical for the future of UAlberta and the future of Canada to deepen relationships in Asia. My vision for our relations in Asia is that we end up with deeper and more significant relationships in research, recruitment and education. We aim to be considered one of the most valuable academic partners in the world to countries such as China and India,” Turpin says.
