Author Archives: Ghoussoub

The faculty at UBC-Vancouver also want in!

Posted on May 17, 2013

It can get quite lonely for faculty representatives on the Board of Governors. I have written before about the latent disparity in status between the elected and the appointed. But there is also the occasional dreadful feeling: what if no … Continue reading →

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Nota Bene

Posted on May 15, 2013

I was not surprised to receive some push back on my last blog. I have also had a chance to revisit some of the issues I raised and the way they sounded. They are important, and it is certainly my … Continue reading →

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How far and how much could a university administration commit its successor?

Posted on May 11, 2013

Ever since Stephen Toope announced the date of his resignation from the presidency of UBC, I and a few other members of the Board of Governors have been struggling with some tough questions. Should this administration stop, or at least … Continue reading →

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UBC’s search for a president: Two down but many to go

Posted on April 28, 2013

The Chancellor has just announced the official launch of the search for a new president of UBC to succeed Stephen Toope. “A Search Committee of 22 members broadly representative of the University community – faculty, staff, students and alumni – will be … Continue reading →

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The people who let you “matter” and those who don’t

Posted on April 23, 2013

Being singled out by the Ubyssey as one of “The people who mattered at UBC in 2012-13” brought much honour and satisfaction, but also introspection. For someone who fusses regularly about whether his latest actions mattered, the mention by the venerable … Continue reading →

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Tell me about El CASA

Posted on April 19, 2013

Once again, I had to perform the unpleasant annual task of writing to more than 120 colleagues and their co-applicants all over the world to inform them that their proposals to run a research workshop at the Banff International Research … Continue reading →

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A “piece of mind” on university governance revisited

Posted on April 10, 2013

“Your post was so highly elliptical that individuals involved will be pissed and onlookers will be puzzled,” wrote one friend. The latter part of his statement got my attention. A few other personal emails, Menzies’ comment below, and Wakefield’s column … Continue reading →

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When the faculty needs to step up for their universities

Posted on April 6, 2013

Stephen Toope announced yesterday that he would be stepping down as President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of British Columbia at the end of June 2014. This is a very unfortunate turn of events for UBC, and not only because the guy … Continue reading →

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The not-so-secret war between the universities and community colleges

Posted on March 30, 2013

The folks of the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC) may have entered the budget lockup in a sunny mood, but they can’t be now, in spite of their rosy post-budget announcements. The colleges on the other hand … Continue reading →

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Bill, Joram, Olek, Ted and Bob

Posted on March 24, 2013

I am not posting today about Budget 2013 as many of you may have expected. I am writing instead about friendship, scholarship and death. Today, I was planning to drive down to Seattle to participate in a memorial service for a … Continue reading →

Posted in Honouring friends | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

NSERC: Time to press the “reset” button on its relations with government and the scientific community

Posted on March 21, 2013

There is no doubt that Suzanne Fortier bears a big responsibility for the unprecedented changes to the landscape of government support to university sponsored research and innovation. But it is hard to believe that she is solely responsible for this major … Continue reading →

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NSERC: Time to press the “reset” button on the mandate

Posted on March 18, 2013

Cathleen Crudden, President of the Canadian Society for Chemistry (CSC) has already hinted at it in her blog post on the occasion of Suzanne Fortier’s exit from NSERC. “Choosing her successor will be a critical task. With academic and industrial researchers calling for more funding … Continue reading →

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Suzanne Fortier’s last salvo

Posted on March 6, 2013

You all heard the news by now, and I got more than my share of phone calls, emails and tweets informing me about it. Suzanne Fortier is to become the 17th Principal and Vice-Chancellor (President) of McGill University, effective early September, … Continue reading →

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It takes more than talent and hard work to win academic awards

Posted on March 2, 2013

Upon seeing the announcement by NSERC of its “Top Researchers,” I couldn’t help myself from tweeting, “UBC a no-show! Get off your comfortable arse and start nominating your colleagues.” I was surprised by how many non-UBCers retweeted my scream. I then remembered a … Continue reading →

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University Governance, Gender Equity and the 2% Solution

Posted on February 25, 2013

It has been the talk of the town. Not that UBC is addressing past gender inequity in professors’ pay, but by the way it is doing it. Other Canadian universities have distributed salary adjustments to female faculty, but UBC was … Continue reading →

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The 2013 BC government budget and what it means for UBC

Posted on February 21, 2013

The BC 2013 budget document is out. It doesn’t even use the words: productivity, innovation, research, university, or college. By taking a leaf out of the feds’ work manual, the provincial government is expecting us to rejoice upon hearing that … Continue reading →

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“Mathematics is alive and well, but living under different names”

Posted on February 18, 2013

That was the assessment of the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (SIAM) back in 1996. “This comment is still apropos,” they wrote in their latest report of 2012. “Although the mathematical sciences are pervasive, they are often invoked without an explicit awareness … Continue reading →

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Why do I have the best job in the world

Posted on February 14, 2013

Just imagine if you receive a Valentine’s card every day of every week of every one of the last 10 years. OK! not the loving and lusting kind, but the feel good and appreciative type. “Dear BIRS Director, The attached paper, `Byzantine … Continue reading →

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Will BIRS bring CIFAR and the mathematical sciences together?

Posted on February 11, 2013

My inbox started filling up at an unusual speed. The Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR) had just announced a partnership with The Banff Centre (TBC). “The two institutions are teaming up to create a physical home for CIFAR, with the … Continue reading →

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Mathematical Instruments: Nassif Ghoussoub

Posted on February 10, 2013

Reblogged from Mathblogging.org — the Blog: This post is part of the series Mathematical Instruments in which we introduce you to some of the math bloggers listed on our site. Today: Nassif Ghoussoub — Piece of Mind Apart from “Piece … Continue reading →

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