Message from President Vivek Goel
Welcome. As President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Waterloo, I am proud to welcome you to our innovative institution.
The best and brightest are drawn to the University of Waterloo for our renowned academic programs, our world-leading co-operative education and our teaching and research excellence.
Waterloo has long fostered a culture of curiosity, exploration, risk-taking, entrepreneurship, global stewardship and leadership. In 1957, innovation and entrepreneurship brought University of Waterloo into being, as a group of business leaders imagined a new university built to tackle some of the world’s most daunting challenges.
Today, with more than 42,000+ students attending annually, Waterloo is #1 in Canada for experiential learning and employer-student connections. We bring bold ideas and brilliant minds together — inspiring innovations with global impact today and in the future.
During this period of rapid societal, technological and environmental change, our focus over the next few years is to continue to build on our unconventional foundation. We will position Waterloo to develop talent for a complex future, advance research for global impact and strengthen Waterloo’s sustainable and diverse communities.
Whether you are already part of our University community or looking to learn more about our institution, I invite you to connect with us, read our strategic plan or visit one of our campuses.
Sincerely,
Vivek Goel, CM, OOnt
President and Vice-Chancellor
News
Fall reminds us why we’re here together
For hundreds of new students, this marks their first weeks away from home. I’d like to thank everyone who has volunteered to welcome our new Warriors this week and over the weekend. If you’ve helped out in previous years, you know it can be a fun and rewarding experience. Students and their families arrive full of excitement, but also a little nervous and overwhelmed. A warm smile from our volunteers makes all the difference.
Honouring Indigenous histories through story, space, and action
National Indigenous History Month invites all of us to recognize and celebrate the diverse cultures, contributions and communities of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples. At the University of Waterloo, this month also encourages reflection, learning, and a deepened commitment to reconciliation. This moment calls for more than recognition. It requires truth-telling about the deep and ongoing impacts of colonialism and an honest examination of the responsibilities that institutions like ours carry. As a place of learning, research and community-building, Waterloo holds a unique role in shaping a future rooted in respect, justice, and shared responsibility.
University of Waterloo President appointed to the Order of Ontario
January 1
The President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Waterloo, Vivek Goel, is among the 2024 appointments to the Order of Ontario announced by the Honourable Edith Dumont, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario and Chancellor of the Order of Ontario.
The Order of Ontario is the province’s highest civilian honour. It is awarded to an Ontarian who has shown the highest level of excellence and achievement in their field, and whose impact has left a legacy in our province, in our country and around the world.
Vivek Goel to end his tenure as President in 2026
October 30
Vivek Goel, President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Waterloo, has advised the Board of Governors that, due to family circumstances, he will not seek re-appointment when his current term ends on June 30, 2026.
President Goel is announcing his plans now to allow time for the University to begin the processes to appoint a successor.