President Axel Meisen

A Message from the President

Welcome to Memorial University's President's Report 2000-2001. Last year, the report was provided for the first time in electronic form and, because it was so well received, we are continuing with this format, capturing only its highlights in a printed brochure. The web/CD version of the report, with its great diversity of information, pictures and sounds, will give you an even better sense of Memorial University's vibrancy and achievements this year.

Memorial University is Atlantic Canada's largest university and one of the world's leading universities in the areas of marine and coastal studies. These studies include not only the physical and biological aspects of the oceans, but also capture our rich cultural heritage, which finds expression in literature, music and the visual arts — to name just a few. The province of Newfoundland and Labrador is richly endowed with natural resources, especially fish, oil and gas, minerals and hydro power. In t he past year, we took major steps to create and expand educational and research programs that support sustainable development for the benefit of people everywhere.

A highlight of the past year was the completion of the university's Strategic Framework. This framework will guide the university's future developmen t and it is based on extensive internal and external consultations. Consistent with the framework, we will place even stronger emphasis on the quality of student life. This means that we will give our students not only a first-rate academic education, bu t we will also give them better opportunities for personal growth and prepare them better for advanced studies and careers. To exemplify our commitment, we have created new physical recreation facilities on our St. John's campus, new residences on our Cor ner Brook campus and new programs and facilities on our Harlow, England, campus. We are enhancing our recruitment efforts, placing special emphasis on stude nts from the rural regions of the province and on students from outside the province. We are also increasing our research activities substantially.

By exploring this report, you will discover Memorial University's unique character and achievements and what we offer students, communities and organizations throughout the world. You will learn about the strong support that the university enjoys fro m government, especially the government of the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, our alumni, our donors and our volunteers. We are most grateful for this support and the trust you place in us.

Axel Meisen
President and vice-chancellor

President Axel Meisen A welcoming message from the President 2:21 min. MPEG [22.5 MB] Real Media DSL [3.7 MB]