About Us
With the administrative support of Research Western, the University fosters a culture of research excellence that produces results in Canada, but for the benefit of the global community.
One of Canada's oldest, most research-intensive universities
The University’s research mandate is based largely on five core priorities that serve as pillars for fostering research excellence and impact at Western, and for further nurturing the culture of advanced innovation at one of Canada’s top research institutions. From fundamental discovery and publications in top-tier journals, to community-based knowledge mobilization and commercialization initiatives, these priorities encompass an overarching desire to be the destination of choice for leading researchers, students and trainees, while producing research with local, national and global impact. The University identifies the following core priorities that guide its research enterprise:
- Going Global: Knowledge generation and mobilization are increasingly global endeavours, particularly in terms of talent recruitment, collaboration and outcomes. Building upon a proud tradition of 135 years of leadership in the international research community, the University seeks to reinforce its standing on the world stage, and to produce results with global impact – notably in signature research areas.
- Mobilizing Knowledge: Knowledge transfer and knowledge mobilization activities provide global impact by allowing for the translation and transmission of new knowledge, strategies, policies and technologies for the greater good of society. Western holds as one of its core priorities to help researchers maximize the impact of their work by supporting the dissemination and translation of knowledge for practical public, government, civil society and industrial benefit.
- Preparing Global-Ready Graduates: Western is an institution of higher learning, responsible for providing unique, advanced education programs that produce global leaders. To support such efforts, the University provides state-of-the-art infrastructure, laboratories, libraries and facilities, and pairs them with leading teachers, researchers and groups to foster a culture in which innovation thrives and trainees are provided with the best possible environment in which to learn.
- Partnerships with Impact: Western is committed to building upon its strong record of leadership with key partners – universities, governments, businesses and communities – and to establishing new models for local, national and international research cooperation that address some of this – and the next – generation’s most pressing challenges. The University must continue to bring the world to Western and take Western to the world.
- Leadership Through Interdisciplinary Research: In an effort to find solutions to progressively complex questions, researchers are expanding their networks throughout and beyond their fields of study, and establishing interdisciplinary research groups, centres and institutes. This has been no different at Western, where researchers are increasingly engaged in a wide variety of collaborative – and interdisciplinary – research projects and programs.
