UBC Vancouver

HONG KONG – The University of British Columbia established a dynamic regional presence when President Martha Piper opened the UBC Asia Pacific Regional Office (APRO) here today. A Canadian university first, the APRO is permanent, and mandated to serve the entire region.
“The University of British Columbia is delighted to announce its new, and expanded home in the Asia Pacific region,” Dr. Piper told a Hong Kong audience as she opened the APRO today. “UBC has a longstanding commitment to Asia-related study and research. The APRO will help UBC build and enhance existing, academic, government, and private sector partnerships throughout Asia while serving its students and alumni.”

Dr. Piper went on to say that UBC’s historical ties, extensive academic linkages, and commitment to study and research on Asia make it imperative that the university establish a permanent base in the region. “It is also significant to note that there are tens of thousands of UBC alumni contributing to communities throughout Asia. In Hong Kong alone there are more than 3,000 UBC graduates.”
As Canada’s global university, UBC draws the world’s finest students from more than 120 countries, and is consistently ranked among the world’s top 50 universities (Shanghai Jiao Tong University and The Times Higher Education Supplement rankings). Established in Vancouver in 1908, and now numbering 42,000 students, the university will open a second major campus, UBC Okanagan, in British Columbia’s Southern Interior region this September.
“As Canada’s leading university in Asia Pacific issues, UBC has had partnerships in the region for decades,” said Dr. Ken McGillivray, Director of the Office of UBC International and Acting Associate Vice President, International. “By establishing a permanent presence, we can strengthen these existing partnerships and foster new, dynamic academic, government, and private sector relationships.”
UBC is also unique among Canadian universities in building international residences with academic partners in an effort to further internationalize its Vancouver campus. Three international residences have been established to date including Korea University-UBC House, Ritsumeikan University-UBC House and Tec de Monterrey-UBC House. It is anticipated that additional international residences will be established in the near future.