Vancouver, BC – June 3, 2024 – Vancouver-based University Canada West (UCW) has announced a year of celebrations to mark its 20th anniversary.
UCW is currently home to more than 14,000 students from over 110 countries – a sharp contrast to September 2005, when its first cohort of 19 students enrolled to study a Bachelor of Commerce in Management Technology.
UCW’s President & Vice-Chancellor Dr. Bashir Makhoul said: “The past 20 years of growth is testament to the high quality of our courses. Our entire community is devoted to academic excellence and the success of our students. This anniversary offers a chance to celebrate our achievements, whilst developing our ambitions for the future.”
Following its opening, the university quickly gained momentum as a business school, broadening its portfolio to include a Master of Business Administration (MBA) program and opening its first campus in downtown Vancouver in 2008.
In 2021, UCW became the third institution in Canada, and the first in British Columbia, to receive a 5 Star rating from the QS Stars higher education rating system.
It now has two bustling campuses in downtown Vancouver, the West Pender Campus in the heart of Vancouver’s financial district and the state-of-the-art Vancouver House Campus, which is part of the award-winning Vancouver House development. Plans are underway to open a campus in the brand-new B6 office tower to replace the West Pender Campus.
Earlier this year, UCW made history as the first institution to win the national MBA Games and BC MBA Games trophies simultaneously. It was also named a finalist in the Business School of the Year category of the global PIEoneer awards, with the overall winner due to be announced in September.
This year has also seen UCW take a significant step forward in its commitment to furthering Truth and Reconciliation in Canada with the release of Understanding Indigenous History: A Path Forward. Hosted by award-winning Canadian broadcast journalist Lisa LaFlamme and featuring interviews with prominent First Nations leader Phil Fontaine and internationally recognized human rights expert Kathleen Mahoney, the six-part series aims to help viewers navigate and understand the complex tapestries of Indigenous history and Truth and Reconciliation in Canada.
And 18 years after marking its first convocation ceremony with five graduating students, UCW recently saw more than 3,500 graduates cross the stage at the largest convocation in UCW’s history, which took place at Vancouver’s Queen Elizabeth Theatre May 28-31.
“We have come a long way and have much to celebrate,” added Dr. Makhoul.
