Canadian National Donates $1.25 Million to UBC for CN chair in transportation and international logistics

Canadian National is donating $1.25 million to the University of British Columbia (UBC) to create the CN Chair in Transportation and International Logistics. UBC will match CN’s gift to establish the $2.5-million CN Chair.

The interdisciplinary Chair will focus on research and teaching in the fields of operations, logistics, supply chain management, land use planning and community decision-making, leading to improved overall efficiency in the world’s transportation sector.

“Our partnership with CN means that we will be able to attract more top international scholars and students in this field,” said UBC President Martha Piper.
The endowment will help bring together transportation expertise from UBC’s Faculty of Graduate Studies, School of Community and Regional Planning, and the Faculty of Commerce and Business Administration.

Building on the university’s strong research and teaching in transportation, logistics and public policy, the Chair will conduct research that contributes to national and international dialogue in the transportation sector. UBC and CN will share expertise and new learning through workshops, conferences and executive training in the partnership.

“It is our goal to acquire the human and physical resources to develop a globally significant capability in the area of transportation and logistics. The new Chair will create an important and permanent strength in teaching and research in the transportation sector,” said Faculty of Graduate Studies Dean Frieda Granot.

“CN is proud to be a partner with UBC,” said CN President and Chief Executive Officer Paul M. Tellier. “This Chair will help develop new expertise and lead research in transportation and logistics. Canada’s economic competitiveness and prosperity depends very much on the continued strength of its freight railroads. For that reason, this field of study builds for the future.”

Canada’s oldest academic and professional graduate planning program, the School of Community and Regional Planning maintains a strong focus on urban land use and transportation planning with expertise in integrated policy and planning research, professional education and community service. Commerce’s Centre for Transportation
Studies fosters research and outreach on economic and public policy issues in transportation and logistics while the Operations and Logistics division offers a specialization in transportation and logistics at the undergraduate and master’s level.