Boundless Campaign milestone celebration
September 16, 2013
The Hon. Michael Wilson, P.C., C.C., LL.D.
Chancellor of the University of Toronto
Thank you, Professor Naylor, for that very generous introduction.
Ladies and gentlemen, earlier Professor Naylor spoke of “Boundless” as more than an aspiration. There’s another sense in which that’s true at U of T. I was on campus during Orientation Week. Now, I keep busy, and I like to think I’m pretty spry. But the energy and enthusiasm of our students! – “Boundless” is the word that leaps to mind.
Ladies and gentlemen, the three remarkable students we heard from this evening are leaving U of T as all our alumni do – as our greatest ambassadors. As Rhodes Scholars they shine with rare brilliance. But they share with all our graduates a desire for high achievement. They are determined to use their talents to the fullest. And they have the character and conviction to lead.
And they share something else with so many of our students: Throughout their time at the University of Toronto, each of our Rhodes Scholars has benefitted from scholarship support. While their achievements are most certainly their own, we are very happy to have been able to support them in this way.
As Professor Naylor said, your generosity enables us to make good on our twin commitments to academic excellence and accessibility for all qualified students. These commitments are important not only to individual students but also to the entire U of T community, to the Toronto region, to Ontario, and to our country.
We are in an increasingly competitive and globalized economy. Other countries are investing heavily in talent, and providing increased funding to their greatest research-intensive universities. Your contributions of time, expertise, and financial support are helping us to stay competitive. You are enabling us to attract, retain, and support the best and brightest. You are helping equip our emerging leaders, our students, to meet the greatest challenges in our world today.
U of T’s rare breadth and depth of excellence creates a wealth of opportunities for our students. It helps them form critical and creative thinking skills – the competencies they need to succeed individually, and to make a difference for others.
Our diversity in programming is paired with the wonderful diversity of the U of T community itself. As the world’s most culturally diverse university, we have an unparalleled advantage in the range of experiences and perspectives among our faculty, staff, students, and alumni.
Ladies and gentlemen, we are stewards of a great legacy. Today more than ever, it is up to us, U of T’s alumni and friends, to ensure our University is poised for a third century of excellence. Together, we can be ready to educate the next generations of doctors and dramatists, engineers and entrepreneurs – and, indeed, national and international leaders in virtually every field of human endeavour.
In closing I would like to thank John Cassaday and Corus Entertainment for hosting us; Professor Naylor for his outstanding leadership; our Rhodes Scholars for their inspiring example; and the very talented students from our Faculty of Music for providing our entertainment this evening.
Ladies and gentlemen, thank you, all, again, for your support and for joining us this evening. Please enjoy the rest of our time together, the music, and this wonderful venue.
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A Gallery of Photos from the Event
