President’s Message

Since its founding over 60 years ago, York has evolved a unique identity as a modern and progressive university committed to advancing a sustainable future for all by meeting the needs of our students and of society through distinct programs and innovative research. In 2015, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development provided us all with a framework to evaluate our positive impact and envision a world defined by economic prosperity, social well-being, and environmental sustainability. 

The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are at the heart of our current University Academic Plan 2020–2025: Building a Better Future and inform everything we do — from our academic and collaborative endeavours to our goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2040. As we approach the halfway mark towards the SDGs’ deadline, global challenges such as climate crisis, geopolitical conflicts, biodiversity loss, volatile labour markets, and rising inequality continue to present obstacles to the achievement of the SDGs and to the higher education sector more broadly. 

In response, universities in the 21^st century must continually evolve and expand their offerings to better meet the needs of an ever-changing world, and recommit to leveraging interdisciplinary research, pedagogical and technological innovation, capacity-building initiatives, and equity-focused advocacy to spark positive change and empower the next generation of global citizens.  

At York, our community has always risen to the challenge. Over the past year alone, we have reaffirmed our leadership in distinct and interdisciplinary programs across the arts, humanities and social sciences, STEM, professional programs, and health sciences; grown our academic capacity by celebrating the opening of the Markham Campus this Fall and receiving $9 million in funding from the Government in Ontario to develop a new School of Medicine; achieved the highest level of externally sponsored research income in our history and continued to catalyze sustainable innovation, including through a new partnership with the Ontario Vehicle Innovation Network; implemented new initiatives to better support the holistic well-being of our students while continuing to eradicate systemic barriers to academic and professional success; and opened new doors for impactful global research, learning, and collaboration while deepening our ties with local and international partners ranging from United Way Greater Toronto and regional health centres to UNITAR and the World Health Organization. 

As a testament to our collective successes, York currently ranks as one of the world’s top 35 universities in The Times Higher Education Impact Rankings for advancing the SDGs. We have also been recognized as a Canada’s Best Diversity Employer and one of Canada’s Greenest Employers for the 12th year in a row.  

While there have been difficulties over the past year, we are continuing to maintain transparency and open dialogue through reporting on key initiatives including our DEDI Strategy, Strategic Research Plan, Sustainability Strategy, and Black Inclusion and Indigenous Frameworks; budget consultation meetings; working groups; and regular town halls, where diverse perspectives directly inform our planning for the future.  

I am sincerely grateful for the dedication and excellence demonstrated by our students, staff, faculty, course instructors, alumni, and partners, whose contributions have been behind all the successes captured in this report. Looking ahead, our recently launched York U Forward Action Plan will help ensure that we remain agile and responsive to evolving societal needs and policy directions impacting higher education. I am confident that by continuing to work together, we can realize a brighter, more sustainable, and more equitable future for us all.