As the University of Calgary marks its 60th anniversary, this year's Community Report presentations offered the campus and the wider community a moment to reflect on how far the university has come and how its next era is taking shape through the Ahead of Tomorrow 2023-2030 strategic plan.
Two events were hosted to launch the report one at Foothills campus on March 24, followed by a gathering at main campus on March 25 that was streamed to the other campuses. At both events, panellists reinforced the central message woven throughout the report: UCalgary's success is not only defined by numbers or recognition, but by the difference it makes in classrooms, clinics, workplaces and communities.
At both presentations, UCalgary President and Vice-Chancellor Ed McCauley opened his remarks by acknowledging the university's early days. What was once "a barren piece of prairie," he said, is now, "a university routinely ranked among the best of the best."
The university's growth reflects that transformation, he said, noting how UCalgary grew from 4,000 students in 1966 to more than 38,000 today, including 7,200 added since 2015, and with plans to welcome 10,000 more by 2030 to help meet Alberta's evolving workforce needs. "We have grown before, and we will continue to grow to meet the needs of our province," McCauley said.
"The true test of any society is whether it leaves the next generation better off than the one that came before it," he said, adding that such a goal is "worthy of UCalgary's history and its future."
Research across UCalgary continues to accelerate, supporting discoveries that shape work both on campus and in communities across Alberta, McCauley said. Last year, the university attracted $632 million in external research funding, more than doubling over 15 years and securing its position as Canada's youngest top-five research university.
In addition, up to 100 Canada Research Chairs now contribute to fields including health, engineering, public policy and environmental science.
Provost Sandra Davidson highlighted the people who drive this progress, noting that the university's impact grows out of the everyday work happening across its faculties in classrooms, labs and community-based learning spaces.
Whether students are training in medicine, working with animals, designing projects downtown, or exploring emerging fields in business and science, Davidson said these experiences are driven by the same principle: "A university's strength lies not only in its ideas and infrastructure, but in the people who bring care, purpose and collaboration to their work every day."
UCalgary now provides more than $140 million in scholarships each year, and its Indigenous student population has doubled in less than a decade, demonstrating long-term efforts toward reconciliation and access.
Graduate success also remains strong, with 95 per cent of UCalgary students securing employment within six months of completing their studies, with many choosing to stay in Calgary and contribute to its growth.
Innovation and entrepreneurship are central to UCalgary's impact, said McCauley: "Being entrepreneurial is our distinct brand it differentiates us from peer institutions." That approach is reflected in the university's innovation ecosystem, which has helped generate more than 100 startup companies in six years, which he noted is the most of any university in Canada.
"There are institutions older and larger than us, but none create more new companies," McCauley said.
Short panel discussions rounded out the two events, bringing six decades of progress into focus by illustrating how UCalgary's teaching and research continue to create meaningful benefits for learners and communities.
At the event held at Foothills campus on March 24, UCalgary microbiome researcher and professor Dr. Kathy McCoy, PhD, shared how strong research investments allow her team to "ask bigger questions" that influence patient care and public health. Dr. Rachael Coon, PhD, a DVM student in the expanded Veterinary Medicine program, spoke about how new training capacity is helping address Alberta's shortage of rural and large-animal veterinarians.
On March 25, at the main campus event, panellists included award-winning quantum researcher Dr. Shabir Barzanjeh, PhD, and geography student Moazima Rizwan.
Barzanjeh, an associate professor in the Faculty of Science, spoke about how advances in quantum sensing are expanding what's possible in emerging technologies. And Rizwan, a Geographical Information Systems intern with the United Nations Operations and Crisis Centre, reflected on how experiential learning at UCalgary has prepared her to contribute to global decision making.
Looking ahead, McCauley reinforced that the Ahead of Tomorrow strategy will continue to guide UCalgary's priorities by strengthening research, expanding access and deepening the university's role in Calgary's growth. "With 60 years behind us and the future in front of us, I can't wait to see what we'll do next," he said.
