Welcome to York University!
The beginning of a new year is a fresh start whether you are joining the University for the first time or are returning to campus.
At York, our highest priority is to provide a healthy, inclusive and supportive learning environment for our students while cultivating academic excellence, sparking innovation and encouraging engagement. Central to these efforts is the preparation of globally educated citizens who are ready for careers anywhere in the world and are aware of the impact of their actions on local and international communities.
In achieving these goals, we share responsibility for building a community based on mutual respect where all members feel included and confident in their ability to express their views. York is one of the most diverse universities in North America. Diversity and inclusion are the bedrock of our community. We have a rich history of looking at problems from multiple perspectives and finding global solutions to the most pressing social challenges of our time. In your class discussions and interactions with peers, in the research you conduct and the work you do, I encourage you to embrace differing opinions, welcome challenging ideas and inspire open dialogue within our community.
As I begin my final year as President, I am more certain than ever that our future will be shaped by how successfully we embrace change, and by how effectively we commit to our diversity and plurality—not only as a university community, but also as citizens. We can’t afford to have knowledge sitting on the shelf; we need to test out our knowledge and work to better understand and serve our communities.
This is an exciting time to be at York University. I invite you to watch my Fall Welcome video (below) to learn more about the latest developments on our campuses. You can keep in touch with me on social media @YorkUPresOffice, and see what I am up to on my new President’s Blog.
I wish you a wonderful year, and I look forward to seeing you on campus.
Sincerely,
Mamdouh Shoukri
President and Vice-Chancellor