| Stephen J. Toope | |
|---|---|
| 12th President of the University of British Columbia | |
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 2006 |
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| Preceded by | Martha Piper |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1958 (age 53–54) |
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Spouse(s) | Paula Rosen |
| Children | 3 |
| Residence | Norman Mackenzie House, University Endowment Lands, Vancouver |
| Alma mater | Harvard University, McGill University, Cambridge University |
| Occupation | Administrator |
| Profession | Academic, Lawyer, Legal scholar, Pedagogue |
Stephen J. Toope, (born 1958) is the President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of British Columbia. He assumed the presidential post on July 1, 2006 for a term of five years. He was formerly the president of the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation.
A scholar specializing in human rights, public international law and international relations, Toope is the 12th President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of British Columbia, succeeding Martha Piper, after 9 years of service. He also holds an academic position at the university as a tenured professor of law.
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Toope graduated from Harvard University in 1979 with a bachelor's degree in English Literature and European History. Then, he received two law degrees from McGill University in 1983. Finally, in 1987, he finished his PhD at Cambridge University, subsequently joining McGill's faculty. [1]
Toope served, until recently, as head of an independent, private, and non-partisan Canadian educational foundation, the Trudeau Foundation, named in honour of Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau. The Foundation focuses on identifying outstanding talent in the social sciences and humanities, thereby building a network to promote public debate on issues of societal importance. The Foundation awards five fellowships and 15 doctoral candidate scholarships annually to recognize outstanding achievement in the humanities and social sciences that exemplify innovative public policy approaches and a commitment to public engagement. Established in 2002, the foundation manages an endowment of more than C$140 million.
Earlier, Toope served as dean of McGill University Faculty of Law from 1994 to 1999. He is the youngest person to have held the position. During his tenure as dean, he led the then-largest capital campaign in Canadian law faculty history to build a new Law library, and oversaw the renewal of the faculty’s curriculum.
Toope has consulted extensively to the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade and to the Canadian International Development Agency. He has won publishing awards from the American Society of International Law and the Canadian Tax Foundation.
He has conducted human rights seminars for government officials in Canada, Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia, and was a member of the UN observer delegation to the first post-apartheid South African elections. He has also served as Research Director, Office of the Special Representative concerning the Royal Commission on Aboriginal People in 1991.
His service to the community includes serving on the boards of non-governmental organizations that promote human rights and international development, including the Canadian Human Rights Foundation, the World University Service of Canada and the United Nations Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances.
As the President of UBC, Toope received salary and benefits of $578,936.79 in 2007, making him the highest paid public-sector employee in British Columbia.[2]
As UBC president, Toope says he hopes to work on prioritizing student learning. In particular, he wishes to create more opportunities for students to work with high-profile researchers. Issues affecting First Nations students on campus will also receive more attention, with a focus on student integration and transition into university life, as well as on trying to engage First Nations students with lower levels of education.
Toope has said he will not focus on the expansion of the university beyond UBC Okanagan.
Toope currently lives in Vancouver with his wife, Paula Rosen, and their three children. [3]
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