Toronto, ON-- A distinguished scholar and accomplished academic administrator joined the University of Toronto at Scarborough (UTSC) this week to embark on a 6 and one-half-year term as the campus’ vice-president and principal.
Professor Kwong-loi Shun is a former dean of the undergraduate division of the College of Letters and Science at the University of California, Berkeley, home to more than 75 per cent of the campus’ undergraduate and more than half of its graduate students.
“I am very excited about the opportunity to help set the academic direction of the University of Toronto at Scarborough over the next few years," he says.
Shun is a professor of Chinese (Confucian) philosophy, having completed bachelor degrees at the University of Hong Kong and University of London, graduate degrees in Philosophy at the University of Hong Kong and Oxford University, and PhD at Stanford University. He has published numerous articles and reviews and the first of a three-volume work on Confucian thought.
At the University of Toronto, he will hold an appointment in the Department of Humanities at UTSC and in the graduate Departments of Philosophy and East Asian Studies. He will lead UTSC through one of the most significant periods of growth in its 40-year history.
"This is brain-gain at its best" -- U of T President, Robert J. Birgeneau
“During my term as vice-president and principal the campus will be undergoing significant growth in terms of student enrolment, physical space, and academic, graduate and research programs. I look forward to working closely with the president, provost, senior administrators, and faculty to develop ways that we can best enhance the research and teaching enterprise at U of T."
“Professor Shun is ideally suited to lead UTSC," says U of T president Robert Birgeneau. “He is a superb academic who is deeply committed to undergraduate education. He will be a fitting leader as we face the many challenges of the double cohort and overall enrolment growth"
Shun says he was attracted to UTSC by the prospect of building something new. “Recent SuperBuild and quality-enhancement funding by the provincial government will help make that transformation possible," he says.
“This is brain-gain at its best," says Birgeneau, “and it would not have happened without enrolment-growth support from the province."
Shun succeeds vice-president and principal Paul Thompson, whose 14-year term ended in June 2003. From June 2003 to January 2004 Professor John Youson served as interim vice-president and principal.
Professor Shun’s official installation as vice-president and principal will be held at UTSC on January 28, 2004.
For more information:
info@utsc.utoronto.ca