Distinguished leaders in education and other fields from around the world have been watching the progress of Quest University Canada with keen interest. Find out more about what they are saying below:
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B(io)LOG
A commentary on the life science that permeates our lives
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Challenge by Choice
Follow Jen Segger-Gigg, a professional endurance athlete
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Culture Quest
Read about life in Squamish & at Quest
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Diary of a Quester
A blog by a group of Quest students with mixed and varied backgrounds
http://diaryofaquester.blogspot.com
In the Classroom: Macleans OnCampus
Annie Prud'homme Généreux and Brian Burge-Hendrix share a blog spot to discuss their experiences at Quest
http://oncampus.macleans.ca/education/category/blogs/in-the-classroom/
Squamish & Environs
Read about life in Squamish and all this beautiful location has to offer
http://lottebond.blogspot.com
Tantalus Adventures
Read about Tantalus Adventures, a Squamish-based custom outdoor adventure company
http://tantalusadventures.blogspot.com
The Quest for Adventure
Read about life as an Admission Counsellor at Quest
http://questcanadaadventure.blogspot.com
Team Blog
Stay current on all the news with the Women's Basketball Team
http://questwomensbasketball.blogspot.com
This Is My Quest
Read Simon Bailey's blog, a Quest student who spent most of his life living in Geneva, Switzerland
http://questu.blogspot.com
university (in)experience
Read about life as a student at Quest
http://cvh07.blogspot.com
Robert J. Birgeneau
Chancellor and Professor of Physics
University of California, Berkeley, United States of America
I have watched with interest the progress of Canada's first small liberal arts and sciences university that is private. It is my view that Canada needs this type of institution and I wish you every success. As you know, the United States has a number of this type of institution and they play a very significant role in the American higher education system. In particular, they are the source of many students who are competitive at being admitted to graduate and professional programs at universities such as the University of California, Berkeley.
I write to offer you my encouragement and to indicate that we look forward to receiving applications from the graduates of Quest University Canada.
Jérôme Couturier
Associate Dean
Professional Graduate Programs
Sauder School of Business
University of British Columbia, Canada
The Sauder School of Business is committed to helping make this new venture a success. We understand that, offering a business component to your undergraduate degree program would be a very attractive stream for many of the students. Upon reviewing the Quest University Canada prospectus, we have developed the proposal, Undergraduate Modules by the Sauder School of Business, with the hope that it will be one component to help build and sustain a robust liberal arts education at Quest.
Tony Macoun
Head of School
Mulgrave School, Canada
Quest University Canada will provide an extraordinary experience for those chosen to attend this new and inspiring community. The Campus, when completed, will be spectacular in a wonderful setting and designed to provide an intimate, interactive environment for learning and living. The curriculum will be of great appeal to those who have celebrated the broad liberal arts approach of the International Baccalaureate and inevitably will attract participants from around the world. The pioneer class will have the chance of a lifetime establishing the traditions of a unique and new Canadian institution. What an opportunity!
John Spinks
Senior Advisor to the Vice Chancellor
University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
Quest represents a very exciting adventure which integrates the best traditions of higher education with forward thinking, progressive approaches. Knowing how quickly information is moving forward in our world, we increasingly see that teamwork and interpersonal skills are highly valued. Quest proposes to develop the whole individual and our view is that this is exactly what the world needs.
Tom Fox, Ph.D.
Associate Dean for Graduate Education
Harvard Medical School, United States of America
Having reviewed Quest University Canada's academic calendar, I am certain that a Quest student who does well would have no problem applying to our graduate school and standing out among applicants. The curriculum outlined in the calendar addresses the qualities of enquiry, critical thought, creativity and expression that are sought after by graduate review committees. For our graduate school, we expect all students to have some research experience and I am happy to see Quest students will have numerous opportunities to explore these avenues.
Alan Harrison
Provost and Vice-President (Academic)
University of Calgary, Canada
We shall be unequivocal in our willingness to consider graduates of Quest University Canada for graduate programs at the University of Calgary. The same standard for admission will be applied to Quest graduates as is applied to graduates of any other institutions.
José Luis Arreguin Romero
Director, International Office
Autonomous University of Guadalajara, Mexico
Quest University Canada provides students with an important opportunity to be global citizens - this vision takes into consideration the need for students to understand the diversity of the world and the ability to value different cultures by sharing their own and learning about others.
Lorne Whitehead
Vice President and Provost
University of British Columbia, Canada
Having had a chance to review your curriculum, I am confident that successful Quest University Canada graduates will be well positioned to apply to appropriate graduate programs at the University of British Columbia. Your emphasis on the interconnectedness of knowledge, breadth of undergraduate experience, and concern with values that underlie our TREK 2010 vision will assist undergraduates in acquiring academic backgrounds comparable with the expectations of many of our graduate offerings.
Robert Snowden
Headmaster
St. Michael's University School, Canada
I have come to be a most sincere and vocal advocate of Quest University Canada. I believe that with its combined emphasis on leadership development and global citizenship, Quest is positioned to make an extraordinary contribution to the higher education landscape.
Peter George
President and Vice-Chancellor
McMaster University, Canada
McMaster University seeks candidates for graduate study who show high scholarly promise. Admission to a graduate program is based on a judgment by the University that the applicant can successfully complete the graduate degree program.
The Quest University Canada program looks very interesting and innovative, and from this standpoint we would certainly be interested in Quest's graduates.
Timothy Fuller
Former President
Colorado College, United States of America
One important point to make whenever undergraduate liberal education is under discussion is that liberal learning is all the more important in a rapidly changing world because it gives students a solid base and anchor in perennial wisdom and fundamental values. Individuals today will perhaps have several different careers, but the basic questions of life and its meaning will persist through all such changes. Learning how to think analytically and how to become a life-long learner, welcoming new challenges rather than fearing them, gaining confidence in acquiring new knowledge and skills as required, are all the advantages of liberally educated young people. Narrow vocational training will quickly outlive its usefulness.
Quest completely understands this changing world - the curriculum has clearly been designed to provide students with what I believe is the best possible preparation for the future.
Stephen J. A. Ward
Acting Director and Associate Professor of Journalism Ethics
The School of Journalism
University of British Columbia, Canada
I am tremendously impressed by the goals and the format of Quest's curriculum. Given the freedom to construct a university, Quest has had the liberty to think imaginatively and to design a program that educates in the fullest sense.
I think the goals of Quest University Canada - the linking of communication, critical discernment and integrated knowledge-seeking - are exactly the correct goals for the 21st century. They break down traditional barriers to using all of our mind (and body) in approaching real-world problems. I suspect that Quest's approach, especially the integrated block plan, will create many motivated students who are able to bring scholarship to bear on problems, and problems to bear on theory. In this rich interplay of mind and world, theory and practice, your students will be prepared to become engaged citizens. Therefore, I believe that Quest's graduates could be good candidates for schools of journalism and communication, such as my own school.
Kelvin K. Ogilvie C.M., Ph.D., D. Sc., H.Col., F.C.I.C
Past President
Acadia University, Canada
Fellow in Post-Secondary Education
Atlantic Institute for Market Studies (AIMS), Canada
I am delighted to endorse this exciting development in postsecondary education in Canada called Quest University Canada. The realization of a vision to create both a private university and one based on a truly liberal education model is unique in Canada. It holds the promise of an exceptional experience for those students fortunate enough to be chosen to attend. The reality of Quest University Canada will be of enormous benefit not just to its graduates but to higher education in our nation and abroad.
Dennis Duffy
Emeritus Professor of English
Served as Chair of the Governing Council's Academic Affairs Committee and Principal of Innis College
University of Toronto, Canada
I opened up the new draft academic calendar and it is just fantastic! Oh what a world of educational opportunity lies here and how beautifully the vision has been realized. Congratulations to all!
Michael Stevenson Ph.D.
President and Vice-Chancellor
Acadia University, Canada
Simon Fraser University, Canada
I am pleased to advise you that Simon Fraser University will recognize bachelor's degrees from Quest University Canada as meeting one of the criteria for admission to graduate programs at SFU. The program outlined in the Quest calendar should be of interest to many of our graduate programs as a good foundation for productive graduate work.
Ron Burnett
President
Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design, Canada
I believe there will be many opportunities for our institutions to collaborate on professional programs, courses and both student and faculty exchange programs. Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design has been offering Bachelor Degrees for over 10 years now in design, visual art and media arts, and has recently commenced its first year of offering a Masters Program. Your undergraduates would be most welcome to compete for graduate admission at ECI.
Ursula M. Staudinger
Vice President
International University Bremen, Germany
I am extremely impressed with Quest University Canada and the general framework which has been developed. From the curriculum to campus and the overall leadership and support network, Quest is nothing less than exceptional. I am very excited to lend my support to the development and impending launch of the inaugural class in 2007.
Susan Pfeiffer
Dean of Graduate Studies and Vice-Provost, Graduate Education
University of Toronto, Canada
Indeed, we look forward to receiving the applications of young scholars whose preparation will be multidisciplinary and oriented toward independent problem solving. These are features that we value in our graduate programs.
Mary Anne Bobinski J.D., LL.M.
Dean and Professor
Faculty of Law
University of British Columbia, Canada
We look forward to having an opportunity to discuss our programs with Quest University Canada students and graduates who are interested in pursuing the study of law. We hope to encourage your highly qualified students to consider applying to the University of British Columbia's Faculty of Law.
Andrew Petter, QC
Dean of Law
Faculty of Law
University of Victoria, Canada
I have consulted with our Admissions Officer regarding opportunities for Quest graduates to apply to our Faculty. Assuming Quest degree programs are fully accredited by the provincial government agency, as I understand to be the case, then she confirms that your graduates will be evaluated in the same manner as other qualified applicants.
Stuart Clark
Executive Director
Educo Adventure School (Educo Canada)
Educo International Alliance
Quest University Canada sets an unprecedented standard for modern higher education in Canada, and indeed the world at large. Every detail of the university plan - classroom size, program and instructional design, quality of instruction, campus design, academic partnerships, community engagement, the out-of-classroom opportunities - are all engrained in the vision of sustainable, international, integrated and, most important to us, experiential education. The adoption of experiential learning principles into university-level learning allows us to highly recommend to our students worldwide to pursue a Quest education.
Darcy Rezac
Managing Director and Chief Engagement Officer
The Vancouver Board of Trade, Canada
Quest University Canada graduates promise to be different. They will be both well educated and engaged. From the outset, their perspective will be broad and inclusive. It will not be restricted to their field of study or a small close circle of associates, it will include broader society as well. They will expect to make a difference to their chosen professions, their employers, their colleagues and the community at large. Personal and corporate citizenship will be second nature to them. They will be contributors. They will be positively engaged leaders.
John Nightingale
President
Vancouver Aquarium, Canada
I believe Quest University Canada will provide its students with both a stimulating environment and academic excellence. With a strong emphasis on interconnected information and learning, Quest graduates will not only have a breadth of knowledge, they will be able to think, and will be prepared for life and work in our rapidly changing world. The Vancouver Aquarium looks forward to working in partnership with Quest University Canada to help diversify and enrich an already effective curriculum, and to providing "real world" biological and ecological experience to as many students as possible.
David Stewart-Patterson
Vice President
Council of Canadian Chief Executives, Canada
From a business perspective, Quest University Canada marks a welcome addition to the spectrum of Canadian education on three fronts:
Bob Poole
Head of the Vancouver Office and Recognition Division
International Baccalaureate North America
I have been very encouraged by the ongoing interest on the part of the Quest team in the Baccalaureate Programme and its students. I have noticed the many parallels between the Quest program and that of the IBO. The IB Organization has been encouraging the post secondary community to offer undergraduate programs that will provide to students a learning experience similar to that which they have enjoyed in the IB.
I believe the program Quest offers will be appealing to many International Baccalaureate students who will see it as offering something familiar.
Heitor Gurgulino de Souza
Secretary-General Elect
International Association of University Presidents (IAUP), Brazil
I am very excited about Quest University Canada and the opportunities it gives to young students. I will encourage students to give serious consideration to being part of Quest's inaugural class. My only regret is that I cannot be 18 again and enroll myself!
Bevin Clark
Career and College Counsellor
New International School of Thailand, Thailand
Quest University Canada is a breath of fresh air (in more ways than one)! Its vision, model and mission provide a much-needed opportunity for students preparing for the complex and rapidly changing world we live in. Working with International Baccalaureate Diploma graduates for over 10 years, I believe Quest University Canada will provide a naturally progressive learning environment for the broad-based inquiring citizen who is not satisfied with the status quo.
Quest offers a model for excellence in education by seeking a high-level of academic success through small class sizes, a uniquely selective enrollment process, global study abroad opportunities, numerous scholarship and financial aid opportunities - and limitless outdoor recreational opportunities. I think what I find most exciting is that Quest is “brand new”... QUEST-ion everything, please!
Roland M. Allen
Director of College Counseling
St. Margaret's Episcopal School, United States of America
As a college counselor, I encourage my students to be thoughtful as they enter into the process of applying to university. "Thoughtfulness" is a trait that first comes to mind when I think about Quest University Canada because Quest is a university that is thoughtful at its roots. My students, who grasp the vision of Quest University Canada, light up with excitement as they consider joining a university community that is international, genuinely intellectual and absolutely fresh in its approach to offering a liberal arts education in the twenty-first century.
I'm excited to encourage students to consider a new university set in the midst of towering ancient mountains.
Margaret Catley-Carlson
Chairperson, Global Water Partnership
Former President CIDA
Former Deputy Health Minister
Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations
Lifetime learning is now standard for successful people, and successful organizations. Liberal Arts Education is about learning how to learn and in today's data deluged world, where to look for what should be learned.
Professional schools teach individuals formulae for solving problems; a good Liberal Arts Education teaches how to solve problems using the accumulated wisdom of humanity, across centuries and disciplines. I am very pleased to see not only the development of an extraordinary curriculum at Quest, but also the approach to teaching that is planned. Every indication suggests that Quest will make a critically important contribution to the higher education world in Canada and beyond.
Melissa Evanson M.Sc., R.P.Bio.
Environmental Scientist
Golder Associates Ltd., Canada
Curriculum Advisory Committee
Quest University Canada, Canada
With the current trends in globalization there is an increasing need for professionals to address problems on an international and interdisciplinary level. Specifically, today's environmental professionals need skills that emphasize the interactions and interdependencies between science, public policy, economics and law. I believe the Quest University Canada liberal arts and science program offers undergraduates a great opportunity to truly delve into a multi-disciplinary academic program that will push students to solve complex problems in innovative ways. The focus on independent thought, group work and communication skills will prepare them for countless professional and academic opportunities upon graduation providing a solid foundation for their future careers.
Honourable Jacob (Jack) Austin, P.C., Q.C.
Board of Governors
Quest University Canada, Canada
Having been involved as a faculty member and advisor at the university level and a supporter of the IB programme for several years, I see the concept of Quest and its new curriculum model as the next and essential step in higher education and the preparation of students for advanced pursuits at the graduate level. Quest will add a deeper understanding to the learning process.
Shuzaburo Takeda, Ph.D.
Executive Director
Business University Forum of Japan, Japan
Professor
Waseda University, Japan
Advisor to Quest University Canada on Science, Technology, Society and the Mind
Quest University Canada, Canada
The world is facing a time of real change and having an innovative force is most important for a time of "rising above the gathering waves". It is not only the knowledge and know-how, but also the way of thinking that is most important for this century. Innovative force develops from new thought, not new knowledge.
As Julian Huxley, the first Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), voiced a half century ago, "Now we need to converge the liberal arts and existing research into a new university system". Quest University Canada is taking that path by giving students the opportunity to be innovative forces in the 21st century.
John Bell
Honorary Consul, Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, Brazil
Former Canadian High Commissioner, Malaysia
Former Ambassador to Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, Brazil
International Advisory Board
Quest University Canada, Canada
Quest University Canada has been blessed in several ways - the splendid location, a clear vision and strategy, the impressive progress on the campus development, the land bank for future development and an outstanding faculty. In my opinion, a liberal arts and sciences degree gives students the opportunity to develop ideas opposed to specific skills while cultivating strong writing and communication tools. A degree from Quest will prepare students for success in the work force. In particular, Quest's curriculum teaches students how to ask the right questions, especially "what do I have to do to get this done or resolved". Upon graduation, these students will be well-positioned for graduate school and will easily advance themselves into senior management positions because of their experience at Quest.
A Quest student is a self-starter who would benefit from the small class sizes, the innovative evaluation process and an environmentally forward-thinking campus that sits within a magnificent landscape.
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