President's Welcome Message

Dear Friends,

Quest University Canada is unique.

As I remind my students, the adjective "unique" should not be modified, for it means "one-of-a-kind," "unmatched," and "singular." Something is either unique, or it is not.

I have been in academia for forty years, and from my perspective, I can claim with confidence that Quest is in fact one-of-a-kind, unmatched, and singular.

I began my studies as an undergraduate at Amherst College, a liberal arts and sciences institution in Massachusetts. After completing my BA, I then received my PhD from the University of Massachusetts in 1977. I went on to join the faculty at Columbia University in New York, where I have been ever since. I have also had the opportunity to serve as a visiting professor at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark and at Cambridge University in England, and I have lectured at more than 100 other colleges and universities world-wide.

By contrast with the institutions of higher education where I have been, Quest is just a newcomer. Nonetheless, at Quest I have taught the Cornerstone in its first two years, and several Foundation blocks in astronomy. Nowhere else have I seen students so deeply engaged in their education. Nowhere else have I witnessed such powerful examples of international students enlightening their North American classmates about life in the world beyond our privileged shores. Nowhere else have I been part of an entire community - students, faculty, and staff - so dedicated to success and so committed to preparing responsible global citizens for the twenty-first century.

Some years ago, when I sat down with the founders to design the Quest curriculum, we started with a clean slate. We were able to focus on providing the best possible education for undergraduates who want to change the world. Drawing on the most creative educational innovations from other institutions, and inventing a few of our own, we have conceived a curriculum that engages and challenges our students.

In the first two years of the Foundation program at Quest, the faculty requires all students to take 16 blocks across the disciplines, providing a broad, rigorous, and integrated introduction to the world of ideas. They gain exposure to the physical sciences, life sciences, social sciences, and humanities. It begins for all first-year students with the Cornerstone course, an example of interdisciplinary study on an vital question - this year, on the relation of human beings to nature.

In the second two years, our students take command of their own education, designing a set of trans-disciplinary questions about which they are passionate - for example, global warming, or poverty, or the nature of honour. Through courses, experiential learning opportunities, international study and travel, and one-on-one tutorials with faculty members, they will deepen and refine their understanding of the questions, and begin to develop answers. At the end of their studies at Quest, they present the results of their inquiry in a major work during the Capstone course. We do not expect our students single-handedly to solve the problems of global warming or poverty, but we do expect them to gain a sophisticated understanding of what solving the problem entails.

In their lifetimes, today's university graduates are expected to have at least three careers (not merely jobs, but distinct careers). They will pursue their calling in a globalized world that is facing life-and-death challenges. Tomorrow's leaders will emerge from those citizens of the world who can integrate knowledge across disciplines and across cultures. Quest has been designed to educate such leaders.

New universities are not created often. I have been involved with Quest for six years now, starting when it existed only as a vision for a new model of undergraduate education. It has been the highlight of my academic career to help transform that vision into the reality of a vibrant community ready to engage the world. If you want an education rather than a degree; if you want a preparation for life in a complex future rather than mere professional certification; if you want to take the lead in the 21st century, then consider joining us.

If you would like to find out more about Quest's mission to provide an intimate, integrated, and international education, the faculty, the students, and I would be happy to speak with you. Give us a call - all we can do is change your life.

Sincerely,

David J. Helfand
Founding Tutor and Acting President
Quest University Canada