Inspiring words from our new chancellor
By Mike Foster
Calin Rovinescu officially became the 14th chancellor of the University of Ottawa at an installation ceremony on February 5, 2016.
Professors, along with members of the University’s Senate and Board of Governors, wore their ceremonial regalia for the traditional academic procession and welcome.
Speaking at the ceremony, President Allan Rock noted Rovinescu’s long history of service to others.
“We are delighted that he will now bring to his new post his exceptional leadership ability and his capacity to rally people, of disparate perspectives, behind a common cause.”
For his part, the University’s new chancellor said: “I am glad to take on this position because it gives me a chance to do something that I feel is really important, which is to interact regularly with enthusiastic professors, eminent scientists, brilliant faculty members and a motivated student population.”
In a wide-ranging address, he touched on the value of higher education and its future in a fast-changing world.
“For our graduates and scholars to succeed, for this university to succeed and, indeed, for our country to succeed, change, disruption and innovation have to be our weapons of choice,” Rovinescu said.
“Knowledge is simply the most valuable asset out there. It is exportable, importable, transferable, ‘scalable’ and available to be richly mined without damaging the environment. It is the most basic and most abundant truly ‘natural’ resource.”
Calin Rovinescu, who is president and CEO of Air Canada, was chosen to become the University’s 14th chancellor in November 2015. He succeeds the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean, who stepped down as chancellor in April 2015 when she was elected secretary general of the International Organisation of La Francophonie.
