Global Lens

The ��Ƶ climbed one spot to fourth place globally in the latest National Taiwan University ranking, which evaluates universities based on their research output and impact.

U of T’s strong performance in the 2024 edition of the NTU World University Rankings, released this week, puts it in elite global company. The four other schools in the top five were Harvard University, Stanford University, University College London and the University of Oxford.

Among public universities, U of T placed second globally and first in North America.

“This ranking is yet another reminder that the research produced at the ��Ƶ is truly world-class,” said Leah Cowen, U of T’s vice-president, research and innovation, and strategic initiatives.

“It also reflects our reputation for research excellence and impact across a broad range of fields – from medicine to the social sciences.”

The NTU ranking analyzes scholarly papers and research citations, scoring each institution based on productivity, impact and excellence. The top 1,000 universities were ranked this year with more than 1,500 considered.

In addition to the overall ranking, NTU ranked universities by six broad fields and 27 specific subjects.

U of T ranked among the top 50 institutions worldwide – and first in Canada – in four of the six broad fields. Notably, that includes a rank of second globally in medicine, the same as last year, and third globally in social sciences – up three spots.

U of T also ranked among the top 10 universities globally in five subject categories: clinical medicine (second), neurosciences and behaviour (third), social sciences (third), psychiatry and psychology (fourth) and biology and biochemistry (sixth).

Two other Canadian universities made the top 100 in the main NTU ranking: University of British Columbia (37th) and McGill University (57th).

Overall, U of T continues to be the highest-ranked Canadian university and one of the top-ranked public universities in the five most closely watched international rankings: Times Higher Education’s World University Rankings, QS World University Rankings, ShanghaiRanking Consultancy’s Academic Ranking of World Universities, U.S. News & World Report’s Best Global Universities and National Taiwan University World University Rankings.

'Etched my name in history': Kylie Masse talks to CBC about winning bronze at Paris Olympics

Christopher.Sorensen — Fri, 09 Aug 2024 18:13:25 +0000

'Etched my name in history': Kylie Masse talks to CBC about winning bronze at Paris Olympics

Christopher.Sorensen Fri, 08/09/2024 - 14:13

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(photo by Jack Guez/Getty Images)

Topic

Global Lens

Alumni

Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education

Subheadline

U of T alumna is the first Canadian swimmer to win an individual medal in three consecutive Olympic Games

With the Paris Games set to wrap up with Sunday's closing ceremony, ��Ƶ alumna Kylie Masse says she’s proud to have secured her place in history as the first Canadian swimmer to win an individual Olympic medal in three consecutive Games, CBC reports.

Masse, who graduated from the ��Ƶ Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education in 2019, took home the bronze in the women's 200-metre backstroke final in Paris last week, adding to her impressive medal collection.

Masse first ascended the podium during her Olympic debut in Rio in 2016, clinching bronze in the 100-metre backstroke. She earned both individual and team accolades at the previous Summer Games in Tokyo, capturing silver in the women’s 100-metre and 200-metre backstroke events, alongside a bronze in the women’s 4x100-metre medley relay.

In addition to her third-place win in Paris, Masse also achieved fourth-place finishes in the 100-metre backstroke and 4x100-metre team medley.

"To really be on the podium here was my goal," Masse told CBC. "But it's also such a dream to … know that I've kind of etched my name in history."

Masse was joined by four fellow Varsity Blues alumni at the Summer Games, including badminton star Michelle Li, volleyball player Heather Bansley, and track and field competitors Jazz Shukla and Lucia Stafford.

U of T talent will also be on display at the upcoming Paralympic Games, which run from Aug. 28 to Sept. 8, with former Blues rower Alina Dumas representing Brazil as the coxswain of its PR3 coxed four crew.

U of T community members head to Paris Olympics as members of Team Canada

Christopher.Sorensen — Tue, 23 Jul 2024 13:18:06 +0000

U of T community members head to Paris Olympics as members of Team Canada

Christopher.Sorensen Tue, 07/23/2024 - 09:18

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(L-R) Former U of T Varsity Blues athletes Heather Bansley, Michelle Li, Kylie Masse, Lucia Stafford and Jazz Shukla will be competing at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games (photos by Essene Hernandez/Eyepix Group/LightRocket/Getty Images, Shi Tang/Getty Images, Al Bello/Getty Images, Andy Astfalck/BSR Agency/Getty Images, MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Jill Clark

Topic

Global Lens

Athletes

Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education

Olympics

Varsity Blues

Subheadline

From swimming to track, volleyball and badminton, several former Varsity Blues athletes will head to the Games alongside key staff members

Five former Blues athletes have qualified to represent Canada at the upcoming 2024 Olympic Games this summer – and will be joined in host city Paris by several ��Ƶ staff and community members.

Four-time Olympic medalist Kylie Masse has been named a co-captain of the Canadian swimming team at the Games, which take place July 26 to Aug. 11, while former Blues badminton star Michelle Li is set to make her fourth Olympic appearance and beach volleyball player Heather Bansley qualified for her third straight Summer Games.

Track and field alumnae Jazz Shukla and Lucia Stafford are off to their first and second Games, respectively.

Meanwhile, at the Paralympic Games, which take place Aug. 28 to Sept. 8., former Varsity Blues rower Alina Dumas is set to represent Brazil as coxswain of its PR3 coxed four crew.

The athletes will be joined in Paris by several U of T staff members and alumni.

Byron MacDonald, who enters his 47th season as Varsity Blues swimming head coach this September, heads to his 10th Olympic Games as a broadcaster, while assistant head coach Linda Kiefer heads to her sixth Olympic Games as a swimming coach. Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education (KPE) alumnus and U of T staff member Ron Castro was also named a massage therapist to the Canadian swimming team.

Former Varsity Blues volleyball player and head coach Ed Drakich is set for his fifth Olympic Games as a volleyball technical official. He also represented Canada as an athlete in 1996.

Jane Thornton, Team Canada’s chief medical officer, earned her Doctor of Medicine from U of T’s Temerty Faculty of Medicine in 2014.

Here’s a brief snapshot of the U of T community members who will be representing Canada as the Games get underway later this week:

Kylie Masse reacts after competing in the final of the women's 200m backstroke at the Canada Olympic & Paralympic Swimming Trials at the Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre on May 16, 2024 (Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Kylie Masse – Swimming

A member of the Varsity Blues swimming team from 2014-2019, Masse has already put together a lengthy career full of highlights ahead of a third Olympic appearance.

She claimed her first Olympic medal at the 2016 Rio Games, earning bronze in the 100-metre backstroke. She then set a new world record while winning the 100-metre backstroke at the 2017 FINA World Championships in Budapest.

Masse would go on to defend her 100-metre backstroke world championship at the 2019 FINA World Championships in Gwangju, South Korea, propelling her to a three-medal performance at the 2020 Tokyo Games, where she took silver in both the 100-metre and 200-metre backstroke events, and added a bronze as part of Canada’s 4x100m medley relay.

During her time with the Varsity Blues, Masse went undefeated at five consecutive Ontario University Athletics (OUA) championships without losing an individual or relay race. The five-time OUA female swimmer of the year, five-time OUA first team all-star and the 2015 OUA female rookie of the year also twice won the Dr. Jeno Tihanyi award for individual medley excellence and earned major grand slams in all three backstroke events.

Michelle Li poses during the medal presentation ceremony for the women's singles gold medal badminton match during the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England (Photo by Ben Stansall/AFP/Getty Images)

Michelle Li – Badminton

Competing with the Varsity Blues badminton team during both the 2009-2010 and 2012-2013 seasons, Li is appearing at her fourth Olympic Games.

She made her Olympic debut at the 2012 London Games, competing in both the women’s singles and doubles events, earning an impressive fourth place result with her partner Alexandra Bruce. She then went on to qualify for both the 2016 Rio Games and 2020 Tokyo Games in the women’s singles, achieving a top 10 finish at the latter.

Among the most successful Canadian female badminton players ever, Li is a six-time Pan American Championships singles gold medalist and the first Canadian woman to win singles gold at the Commonwealth Games.

At U of T, Li helped the Varsity Blues to their first OUA championship title in 10 years, earning OUA female MVP and OUA all-star honours during the 2012-13 campaign. In that season she won both the OUA and Canadian university women’s singles titles, while partnering with Grace Gao to win the women’s doubles titles.

(L-R) Gold medalists Heather Bansley and Sophie Bukovec of Team Canada pose for photos after the women's final match of the NORCECA Olympic Beach Volleyball Qualification Tournament (photo by Essene Hernandez/Eyepix Group/LightRocket via Getty Images)

Heather Bansley – Beach Volleyball

A former Varsity Blues student-athlete between 2005-2010 and assistant coach during the 2021-22 season, Bansley is now getting set to head to her third Olympic Games as a member of Team Canada.

Considered among the best defensive players in the world, she previously competed at the 2020 Tokyo Games and the 2016 Rio Games with partner Brandie Wilkerson, placing fifth overall at both international showcases. Bansley has been a dominant player throughout her career on the FIVB beach volleyball world tour, winning the world's best defender honour three times (2018, 2016 and 2015). In 2018, she and Wilkerson reached the No. 1 ranking in the world.

While a student-athlete at U of T, Bansley was a two-time all-Canadian who finished first on the OUA and U SPORTS leader board in points, kills and serving aces per set during the 2009-2010 season. She helped lead the Blues to a provincial title and a spot in the U SPORTS national championship.

Lucia Stafford reacts during the women's 1500m heats at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan, Aug. 2, 2021 (photo by Li Yibo/Xinhua via Getty Images)

Lucia Stafford – Track and Field

An alumna of the Varsity Blues track and field and cross country teams between 2016-2020, Stafford will be heading to her second Olympic Games after winning her third Canadian women’s 1500-metre title. A semifinalist at the 2020 Tokyo Games, Stafford recently set a new Canadian record in the women’s 2000-metre in her Diamond League debut, breaking the previous mark set 30 years ago by Angela Chalmers.

While with the Blues, Stafford was named both U of T’s T-Holders’ female athlete of the year and the OUA female athlete of the year across all sports in her senior season. She earned individual OUA and U SPORTS gold medals, an OUA silver with the women’s cross country team, nine provincial medals and 10 national medals with the track and field team across her four seasons of competition.

Jazz Shukla prepares for the start of the women's 800m semi-final heat three during the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary on Aug. 25, 2023 (photo by Li Yibo/Xinhua via Getty Images)

Jazz Shukla – Track and Field

A Varsity Blues track and field and cross country athlete between 2016 and 2022, Shukla qualified for her first Olympic Games after winning the Canadian women’s 800-metre title. After a steady ascent up the rankings since graduating from U of T, her 1:58.20 time at the Canadian Olympic trials marked the second fastest trials time in North America.

Since jumping back into competition in the 800-metre event in 2022, Shukla has continued to improve her time with each outing. She most recently competed at the 2023 Canadian National Championships, 2023 World Championships and 2024 World Athletics Indoor Championships.

Shukla’s time at U of T coincided with impressive results and recognition. With the cross country team, she earned U SPORTS first team all-Canadian and OUA first team all-star honours in 2021.

U of T ranks 17th globally, first in Canada in U.S. News & World Report university rankings

rahul.kalvapalle — Mon, 08 Jul 2024 18:17:12 +0000

U of T ranks 17th globally, first in Canada in U.S. News & World Report university rankings

rahul.kalvapalle Mon, 07/08/2024 - 14:17

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(photo by Matthew Volpe)

Mariam Matti

Topic

Global Lens

Global

President Meric Gertler

Rankings

U.S. News & World Report

Subheadline

The research-focused 2024-2025 Best Global Universities Rankings placed U of T 10th among public universities worldwide and fifth among public institutions in North America

The ��Ƶ has been ranked 17^th in the world, up one spot from last year, in the latest global university ranking by U.S. News & World Report.

The 2024-25 edition of the Best Global Universities Rankings, which focuses on research performance, also placed U of T 10^th among public universities worldwide and fifth among all public institutions in North America.

U of T remained Canada’s top-ranked university in the closely watched international ranking.

“This latest ranking positions the ��Ƶ among a small group of elite institutions that are making important new discoveries and generating critical new knowledge across a range of fields,” said U of T President Meric Gertler.

“Our researchers and scholars can take pride in this recognition of the impact they are having on a global scale.”

Using data from Clarivate Analytics, U.S. News & World Report assessed 2,250 universities through the lens of research performance, as measured by indicators such as global and regional reputations, citations, scholarly publications, international collaboration and citation impact.

U of T ranked among the top 10 universities in the world in eight subject areas: clinical medicine (third), endocrinology and metabolism (third), cardiac and cardiovascular systems (fourth), surgery (fourth), arts and humanities (fifth), social sciences and public health (fifth), oncology (eighth) and psychiatry/psychology (ninth).

Among Canadian schools, U of T ranked first in a total of 28 different subjects.

This year’s ranking included four new subject areas – bringing the total to 51 subjects – and covered an additional 250 schools.

Two other Canadian universities joined U of T among the top 100 globally in the most recent U.S. News & World Report ranking: the University of British Columbia, which ranked 39^th, and McGill University at 56^th.

The top five universities globally in this year’s ranking were: Harvard University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Stanford University, the University of Oxford and the University of California, Berkeley.

U of T also ranked first in Canada, second among North American public universities and among the top 25 institutions globally in the QS World University Rankings released in early June.

Overall, U of T continues to be the highest-ranked Canadian university and among the top 25 universities globally in the five most closely watched international rankings: QS World University Rankings, U.S. News & World Report’s Best Global Universities, Times Higher Education’s World University Rankings, Shanghai Ranking Consultancy’s Academic Ranking of World Universities and National Taiwan University World University Rankings.

‘Not in my wildest dreams’: Refugee Jaivet Ealom on his journey to become a U of T grad

mattimar — Mon, 24 Jun 2024 14:05:45 +0000

‘Not in my wildest dreams’: Refugee Jaivet Ealom on his journey to become a U of T grad

mattimar Mon, 06/24/2024 - 10:05

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Jaivet Ealom, who arrived in Canada in 2017 after fleeing Myanmar four years earlier, stands in front of U of T’s Convocation Hall (photo by Lisa Lightbourn)

Topic

Faculty of Arts & Science

Global

Political Science

University College

Subheadline

A member of the persecuted Rohingya minority in Myanmar, Jaivet Ealom fled the country in 2013 and travelled across three continents in search of asylum – surviving a near-drowning and several detentions along the way

As a teenager in Myanmar, Jaivet Ealom says he could hardly have imagined one day graduating from the ��Ƶ with a double major in economics and political science.

“Not in my wildest dreams,” he says, noting that he’s now taking steps “to bring everything I’ve gained and learned” to help others who are suffering around the world.

Ealom’s incredible journey to U of T’s Convocation Hall began in 2013 with a harrowing escape from the Southeast Asian country where, as a member of the persecuted Rohingya minority, he faced systemic discrimination and was denied citizenship rights.

He left everything he knew behind, travelling through six countries and across three continents in search of asylum – and surviving a near-drowning and multiple detentions along the way.

(photo by Lisa Lighbourn)

Arriving in Canada in 2017, Ealom later began studies in U of T’s Faculty of Arts & Science as a member of University College. He also co-founded the Rohingya Centre of Canada and a refugee-focused non-profit called Northern Lights Canada, is a member of the Refugee Advisory Network of Canada and has attended forums for the UN Refugee Agency on resettlement.

Amid his advocacy work, he also found time to write his first book: Escape from Manus Prison: One Man’s Daring Quest for Freedom, detailing his triumphant journey.

As he crossed the stage inside Convocation Hall last week, Ealom says a sense of relief washed over him – the closing of one chapter and beginning of another.

He says his time at U of T has helped him make sense of his tumultuous journey – and define his goals for the future.

“I only understood the symptoms of the problem because I have been the one on the suffering side,” Ealom says, adding that he initially viewed the issue purely as a humanitarian one.

“Academia helped me understand that it’s also a political problem and the refugees are a result of policies and discriminatory law.”

(photo by Lisa Lightbourn)

After graduation, Ealom plans to dive into his policy work and advocate for representation of the Rohingya people in Myanmar’s politics following decades of persecution and disfranchisement.

He is currently working with a group of about 40 to form the Rohingya Consultative Council, which is hoping to feed into the National Unity Consultative Council – an advisory body to the National Unity Government of Myanmar.

“The Rohingya are the only group who don’t have a representative body there,” says Ealom, adding that through the Rohingya Consultative Council he hopes to achieve two goals: have a seat at the table; and define and build capacity for who sits in that seat.

He says he feels a sense of responsibility to use his privilege – and his U of T education – to do what other members of his community may not be able to do on their own: achieve equality and justice for the Rohingya community in Myanmar.

Waabi, founded by U of T's Raquel Urtasun, raises US$200 million to launch self-driving trucks

lanthierj — Wed, 19 Jun 2024 20:26:16 +0000

Waabi, founded by U of T's Raquel Urtasun, raises US$200 million to launch self-driving trucks

lanthierj Wed, 06/19/2024 - 16:26

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(photo by Nick Iwanyshyn)

Rahul Kalvapalle

Topic

Global Lens

Artificial Intelligence

Department of Computer Science

Entrepreneurship

Faculty of Arts & Science

Waabi, a self-driving trucking startup founded by ��Ƶ artificial intelligence (AI) expert Raquel Urtasun, has raised US$200 million in series B funding to support the deployment of fully autonomous, AI-powered trucks in 2025.

The funding round was led by previous investors Uber Technologies Inc.– where Urtasun previously worked as chief scientist of the self-driving division – and Khosla Ventures and includes an array of other high-profile strategic investors including NVIDIA Corp., Volvo Group and Porsche Automobil Holding.

The latest funding brings total investment in Waabi to more than C$380 million and will be used to expand the Toronto-headquartered company’s team in both Canada and the U.S., as well as to launch driverless commercial deliveries in Texas by next year.

(photo Nick Iwanyshyn)

Urtasun, a professor in the department of computer science at U of T’s Faculty of Arts & Science and co-founder of the Vector Institute for Artificial Intelligence, said Waabi’s end-to-end AI system is advancing self-driving technologies to frontiers beyond the reach of other industry players thanks to its unique ability to carry out complex reasoning.

“What we have at Waabi is a technology that brings generative AI to the physical world for the first time, where the idea is that you have a single AI system that is able to reason like a human does, and is able to generalize to situations everything that might happen on the road – including things that it has never seen before,” she said.

“It does so in a way that is interpretable, so you can validate and verify the system, and provably safe, which is very important as you deploy these massive robots in the real world.”

Paired with Waabi’s advanced simulator, the AI system reduces the need for time-consuming road testing, Urtasun explained.

The announcement came hours before Urtasun took to the main stage at the Collision tech conference in Toronto to deliver a talk on generative AI. Her remarks touched on the technological underpinnings of generative AI and future applications, and outlined how Waabi is bringing generative AI to the physical world – starting with trucking.

Raquel Urtasun at the 2024 edition of Collision (photo by Polina Teif)

Urtasun is one of several experts from U of T’s technology, innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem who are speaking at Collision. Others include University Professor Emeritus ��Ƶ, a world-renowned AI luminary and investor in Waabi.

“Self-driving technology is a prime example of how AI can dramatically improve our lives,” Hinton said in a news release. “Raquel and Waabi are at the forefront of innovation, developing a revolutionary approach that radically changes the way autonomous systems work and leads to safer and more efficient solutions.”

Earlier in the week, Urtasun brought one of Waabi’s trucks to the St. George campus and showcased some of its capabilities to Melanie Woodin, dean of the Faculty of Arts & Science, Tony Gaffney, president and CEO of the Vector Institute, and Michael Brudno, professor in the department of computer science and chief data scientist at the University Health Network.

From left: Melanie Woodin, Raquel Urtasun, Tony Gaffney and Michael Brudno (photo by Nick Iwanyshyn)

Urtasun underscored the importance of the company being headquartered in Toronto. “We’re an AI company and Toronto has always been at the forefront of AI,” Urtasun said. “There’s tremendous talent here, a busy ecosystem, and for me it’s important to be in Canada, where I’m very aligned with the values of the country as well.”

Reflecting on her journey at U of T, where she started as an assistant professor in 2014, Urtasun said she initially assumed she would “just be an academic doing research for the rest of my life” – but soon realized that involvement in industry would be critical to advancing AI technologies for use in the real world.

“Three years ago, I saw a tremendous opportunity to start a new company and what you see today is the fruit of that, where we’re really close to deployment on public roads without a human [driver],” said Urtasun.

“It’s amazing – not just for Waabi, not just for Canada, but for the industry at large.”

U of T grad ‘moves mountains’ to earn engineering degree

mattimar — Wed, 12 Jun 2024 13:44:40 +0000

U of T grad ‘moves mountains’ to earn engineering degree

mattimar Wed, 06/12/2024 - 09:44

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Vishakha Pujari, who receives her bachelor’s degree in applied science on June 18, shows off the iron ring that’s often worn by engineering graduates (supplied image)

Mariam Matti

Topic

Global Lens

Convocation 2024

Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering

Global

India

Joseph Wong

Mechanical & Industrial Engineering

Subheadline

Vishakha Pujari says she is the first person from her rural village in India to attend a foreign university

Vishakha Pujari is profoundly committed to paying it forward.

The first student at the ��Ƶ to be supported by a Karta Catalyst Scholarship, Pujari arrived at U of T in 2019 from the small Indian village of Walandi – about a five-hour drive from Hyderabad – to study industrial engineering in the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering.

In addition to her schoolwork, she found time to host workshops for students from her high school and even donated some of her scholarship money back to the Karta Initiative – an organization dedicated to providing equitable access to higher education to India’s low-income rural youth.

“If I am getting something, I should make sure I am giving back,” Pujari says.

On June 18, Pujari is set to cross the stage in Convocation Hall – and then head back to her new job as a software design analyst in Montreal. While her parents are unable to attend due to the cost of flying to Toronto, they hope to watch the convocation livestream. Pujari, meanwhile, says she plans to meet up with her mentors at U of T and possibly have dinner with friends.

Reflecting on her time at U of T, which included a one-year co-op, she recalls the initial culture shock of moving from Walandi to Toronto – a city that she had never visited before.

“It was the second time I was on a flight,” she says. “I’m from a village so we don’t see many tall buildings there. My residence had 28 floors, so it was all a new experience.”

Pujari grew up the youngest of three siblings on her family’s sugarcane and soybean farm. She learned the value of hard work from her parents, who woke up at 5 a.m. each day to tend to their land before going to neighbouring farms to earn extra money.

When she was 12, she attended a government-run school, located about 80 kilometres from Walandi, and spent nine months of the year living on the campus – a long period of separation from her parents.

Pujari first learned about the Karta Initiative when she was 16 – and says the program’s emphasis on integrity, perseverance and community service resonated deeply.

She became a member after undergoing a rigorous selection process and, over the course of two years, received mentorship, academic support, and opportunities for personal development.

Receiving her acceptance to U of T and the Karta Catalyst Scholarship was a life-changing moment – one that meant all her hard work and sacrifices paid off.

“It was really exciting and scary,” she says. “My parents were really happy because no one from our village has gone to study at a foreign university.”

Karta Scholars receive funding for tuition and living expenses, personal and professional development, internship placements, and career transition support. In addition to working with their academic advisers, scholars are also connected with a faculty mentor and participate in numerous enrichment activities with other scholarship students at U of T.

Although she was accustomed to living apart from her family, being in Toronto brought new challenges.

“The classes I was used to had no more than 40 students,” she says. “When I came here, I was like, ‘Oh my God, there are so many people.’ For a moment, I was like, ‘Am I an introvert?’”

She worried that her English-speaking skills weren’t up to par.

“It was exciting to meet students from different countries, but at the same time overwhelming,” she says.

At the same time, she was unable to travel back to India to see her parents and siblings for three years due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Pujari found guidance and reassurance in the form of mentors. In her first year, she met Joseph Wong, U of T’s vice-president, international, and a professor in the department of political science and the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy in the Faculty of Arts & Science, and the two kept in touch with throughout Pujari’s time at U of T.

They would discuss everything from challenges Pujari was facing to her future plans – which she says may include pursuing a master’s in business administration and starting her own business.

“Her resilience is so impressive,” Wong says, noting the many obstacles Pujari overcame to become a U of T student. “It’s pretty incredible what she’s done, and to hear now that she’s graduating and has a job lined up is really gratifying.”

Pujari also received mentorship from Chirag Variawa, director, first-year curriculum and associate professor, teaching stream, in U of T’s Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering. He says her “unbridled curiosity, determination, and intelligence” is nothing short of inspirational.

“Over the years, I've seen her grow into a professional who moves mountains not just with the strength of her character, but the goodness of her heart as well – and that's exactly what the world needs,” he says.

Through it all, Pujari says her family has been among her biggest supporters.

“My father used to come with me to workshops in Mumbai, which is 12 hours away from our village,” she says. “My sister was also really supportive and helped me with my English.”

“They’re really excited and happy I’m graduating.”

U of T ranked second among North American public universities, among top 25 globally: QS World University Rankings

Christopher.Sorensen — Tue, 11 Jun 2024 14:11:38 +0000

U of T ranked second among North American public universities, among top 25 globally: QS World University Rankings

Christopher.Sorensen Tue, 06/11/2024 - 10:11

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(photo by Drew Lesiuczok)

Topic

QS World University Rankings

Rankings

The ��Ƶ is ranked first in Canada, second among North American public universities and among the top 25 institutions globally in the latest QS World University Rankings.

U of T continued to be recognized as one of the world’s leading public universities in the highly regarded annual ranking, placing just behind the University of California, Berkeley in North America.

The ranking, the largest-ever by U.K. analytics firm Quacquarelli Symonds, was released June 4 and placed U of T first in Canada and 25^th overall among more than 1,500 institutions.

U of T’s performance was buoyed by its scores for academic reputation, employer reputation, employment outcomes, international reach and sustainability – a category in which it ranked first in the world.

“This ranking affirms once again that the ��Ƶ provides a world-class education, generates important new research and prepares our graduates for leadership in virtually every field,” said U of T President Meric Gertler.

QS sampled a broader swath of schools for the 21^st edition of the global ranking, nearly doubling the number of institutions it evaluated to determine its published list of 1,500 universities across 106 education systems.

This year’s ranking also saw a reshuffling among the top echelon as universities from Asia and Europe continued to climb the charts. Several elite U.S. universities experienced double-digit drops, while U of T was down four spots compared to last year.

Nine weighted indicators are used to calculate a university’s overall score in the ranking. Based on a survey of international scholars, academic reputation carries the most weight at 30 per cent. U of T ranked 11^th globally on that front.

U of T also earned top marks for employer reputation, which accounts for 15 per cent of the score, based on a survey of employers from around the world.

Other indicators considered include: faculty-student ratio; citations per faculty; international faculty; international students; international research network; employment outcomes; and sustainability, where U of T took top spot.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Imperial College London and University of Oxford took the top three spots in the ranking.

Alongside U of T, three other Canadian universities made the top 100: McGill University (29^th), University of British Columbia (38^th) and University of Alberta (96^th).

U of T is ranked first in Canada and among the top 25 universities globally in the five most closely watched international rankings: QS World University Rankings, U.S. News & World Report’s Best Global Universities, Times Higher Education’s World University Rankings, ShanghaiRanking Consultancy’s Academic Ranking of World Universities and National Taiwan University World University Rankings.

U of T ranks among top 20 globally across all five broad fields tracked by QS World University Rankings by Subject

Christopher.Sorensen — Mon, 15 Apr 2024 20:40:05 +0000

U of T ranks among top 20 globally across all five broad fields tracked by QS World University Rankings by Subject

Christopher.Sorensen Mon, 04/15/2024 - 16:40

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(photo by Matthew Volpe)

Topic

Subheadline

The university is ranked 10th in the world for arts and humanities in 2024

The ��Ƶ is ranked among the top 20 universities globally across all five broad subject fields featured in the latest QS World University Rankings by Subject 2024 – including a coveted top-10 spot for arts and humanities.

The rankings, compiled by London-based analytics firm Quacquarelli Symonds, evaluate universities’ performance across five broad subject fields and 55 more specific subjects.

In the five broad fields, U of T ranked 10th in arts and humanities, 12th in social sciences and management, 13th in life sciences and medicine, 17th in engineering and technology and 19th in natural sciences.

It also made the global top 10 in seven more specific subject areas: sports-related subjects (5th), nursing (5th), education (8th), data science (9th), English language and literature (10th), mineral and mining engineering (10th) and philosophy (10th).

Moreover, U of T placed among the top 50 institutions in 46 subjects – more than any other university in the world – and scored in the top 25 in 34 subjects behind only the University of California, Berkeley; University of Cambridge; Harvard University, University of Oxford, National University of Singapore and University of California, Los Angeles.

“These latest rankings recognize U of T’s place among an elite group of global universities that consistently demonstrate academic and research excellence across a broad array of disciplines,” said U of T President Meric Gertler.

“This wide range of scholarly expertise, along with U of T’s culture of multidisciplinary collaboration, puts us in a unique position to tackle some of the most complex and pressing challenges of our time, from treating cancer to addressing climate change.”

For the 2024 edition of its subject rankings, Quacquarelli Symonds ranked nearly 1,600 universities across 55 subjects. The results are based on indicators including academic and employer surveys, research citations per paper, an index that quantifies the productivity and impact of an institution’s published work and a metric that reflects the reach of international collaborations.

Globally, the university made gains in 21 subjects this year, including jumping 12 spots to 21st place in communication and media studies and an 11-spot rise to secure 10th place in mineral and mining engineering.

U of T also climbed the ranks in four of the broad fields, ascending 10 spots in engineering and technology, five in arts and humanities, four in natural sciences and three in social sciences and management. Its standing remained unchanged in life sciences and medicine.

Among Canadian universities, U of T ranked first in all five broad fields and first in 34 more specific subject areas.

In total, U of T was ranked by QS in 50 of the rankings’ 55 subjects.

Overall, U of T is ranked first in Canada and among the top 25 universities globally in the five most closely watched international rankings: QS World University Rankings, U.S. News & World Report’s Best Global Universities, Times Higher Education’s World University Rankings, ShanghaiRanking Consultancy’s Academic Ranking of World Universities and National Taiwan University World University Rankings.

U of T visiting scholar pairs Afghanistan advocacy with a passion for physics

Christopher.Sorensen — Wed, 27 Mar 2024 15:41:32 +0000

U of T visiting scholar pairs Afghanistan advocacy with a passion for physics

Christopher.Sorensen Wed, 03/27/2024 - 11:41

Cutline

Tahir Shaaran, a visiting scholar in U of T’s department of physics in the Faculty of Arts & Science, is teaching the next generation of scientists (photo by Johnny Guatto)

Tabassum Siddiqui

Topic

Global Lens

Afghanistan

Faculty of Arts & Science

Global

Physics

Subheadline

A former director-general of Afghanistan's nuclear energy agency, Tahir Shaaran is keen to use education to help his country and drive change

Growing up in Afghanistan, Tahir Shaaran was endlessly curious about the world around him – including the seemingly endless conflicts that engulfed his country.

“I was always thinking about the connection between me and my surroundings and how the universe is functioning – ‘What is the meaning of being here?’ – and those kinds of complicated philosophical questions,” he says.

Shaaran found at least some of the answers he was seeking in physics – and quantum physics in particular. He would go on to spend nearly two decades studying and working around the world before returning to Afghanistan to work as director-general of its nuclear energy agency – an effort, he says, to use his knowledge to help his country.

Now a visiting scholar in the ��Ƶ’s department of physics in the Faculty of Arts & Science, Shaaran is teaching the next generation of scientists and says he’s once again reminded of education’s power to drive change and social progress.

“So many people who had the right education and skills to help Afghanistan in terms of development ended up having to leave,” he says. “At the end of the day, it’s about humanity – the crisis in Afghanistan is not just local to that country. Even though it feels like something may not directly affect us, the consequences of such situations are much bigger than for just one place or group of people.

“A lot of the time, we’re looking for quick fixes, but we have to advocate for long-term, sustainable solutions – and we can only do that through education.”

Born during the Soviet invasion in Afghanistan in the 1980s, Shaaran left his native Bamyan province with his family when he was still a young child due to civil unrest in the region. He was raised in Mazar-e-Sharif in northern Afghanistan and later fled to Europe in 1999 following persecution and attacks on the minority Hazara community to which his family belonged.

Settling in the United Kingdom, Shaaran completed several degrees in physics at University College London. Throughout his studies, he collaborated with international institutions, including the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in the U.K. and the neutron-scattering facility at Institut Laue–Langevin in France.

He went on to work abroad on atomic and nuclear physics, including at the Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics in Germany, the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) and the Institute of Photonic Science in Spain.

Yet, Afghanistan was never far from his mind – and he began thinking about how his studies could help improve the economic and social situation back home.

“I had met the vice-president of Afghanistan in Germany and told him about my plan: the dream of building a national research centre for science and technology back in Afghanistan,” Shaaran says.

“I wanted to have a bigger impact, so I thought the research centre was something that could help more people.”

He was invited to Kabul to meet then-president Ashraf Ghani. While there was no money to fund his research centre dream, Shaaran was tapped to become director-general of Afghanistan’s Nuclear Energy Agency in 2018 – a job he hoped to slowly expand to include a research element. At first, he says was encouraged by the government’s stated openness to scientific progress and development, but soon found himself disillusioned as the political and security situation in the country deteriorated.

“I didn’t receive the support the president had promised,” Shaaran recalls. “Some of it was understandable, as there was a war and a complicated political situation, but I had a feeling the system was going to collapse so I resigned in early 2021.”

Looking back, he says his exit came just in time – the Taliban captured Kabul later that year and the United States withdrew its military. The situation remains volatile, with a crackdown on women’s rights, threats of terrorism, extreme poverty and other challenges.

“In a way, we are all responsible for what has happened to Afghanistan – from human rights activists to the police to policymakers – [because] we didn’t think about how we could build the country independently without relying on anyone from the outside,” says Shaaran, who has been a longtime advocate for human rights and the rights of Afghanistan’s minority Hazara population.

Shaaran says teaching at U of T helps keep him inspired and optimistic about the future – thanks in no small part to a steady stream of engaged physics students. He also leads an advanced physics lab this semester that offers 40 different experiments for five different courses.

“His expertise allows him to supervise a range of projects, covering topics from optics to particle physics, and help students progress through their experiments. In addition to that, he is a great colleague – willing to learn from more experienced members from the team, while sharing his expertise with teaching assistants and junior colleagues,” says Shaaran’s colleague Ania Harlick, an assistant professor, teaching stream.

“Tahir brings considerable expertise in theoretical and nuclear physics from his work in academia and at Afghanistan’s nuclear agency,” adds Professor Kimberly Strong, chair of the department of physics.

“He has been actively engaged in the life of the department this year, and it has been such a great pleasure hosting him here.”

As for his ongoing advocacy efforts, Shaaran continues to speak with politicians and organize rallies and workshops to ensure Afghanistan and its people remain in the public consciousness.

“Despite all the difficulties, I’m an optimist because when I call someone in Afghanistan – even in a remote area and even though young women and girls are not allowed to go to school – they still have drive and hope,” he says. “Many people send me emails or texts saying they are looking for online education as they want to learn.

“Those small things give me a lot of hope.”

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