Education: British Columbia’s Best Resource Driver
Andrew Petter
British Columbia has the strongest university sector in the country, and despite flat commodity prices and volatile markets, the province also has the strongest economy.
Simon Fraser University President Andrew Petter will argue that this is no coincidence. But while the educational and research contributions of B.C.'s universities have been key to strengthening and diversifying the province's economy, B.C. still suffers from a shortage of post-secondary education capacity that is costing us billions of dollars in lost GDP and hundreds of millions in foregone tax revenue.
Petter will make the case that B.C.'s most productive energy resource is not in the ground, but in its people, and that its greatest investment opportunity is in world-class post-secondary education and cutting-edge university research.
About the Speaker
Andrew Petter is the President and Vice Chancellor of SFU and Professor in the School of Public Policy. Prior to joining SFU in 2010, he was Professor in the Faculty of Law of the University of Victoria where he served as Dean from 2001 to 2008. He previously taught at Osgoode Hall Law School and practiced law with the Saskatchewan Ministry of Justice.
From 1991 to 2001, Professor Petter served as a Member of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of British Columbia and held numerous cabinet portfolios, including Advanced Education and Attorney General.
Professor Petter holds an LL.B. from University of Victoria, where he was gold medallist, and an LL.M. with first class honours from Cambridge University. He is a member of the British Columbia and Saskatchewan law societies.
Since becoming President, Professor Petter has overseen the development and implementation of a Strategic Vision that seeks to distinguish SFU as Canada's "Engaged University" defined by its dynamic integration of innovative education, cutting edge research, and far-reaching community engagement.
His full bio is available at http://www.sfu.ca/pres/biography.html
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