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Hosted by The Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce’s HR Leadership Council.
Smart skills for a smarter Canada
Leveraging university resources for better business
Uncertain economic times.
Growing demand for sophisticated skills and new knowledge.
An increasingly competitive global marketplace.
Today’s businesses must be nimble, responsive and visionary in the face of emerging challenges. Partnering with universities helps companies and communities gain this competitive advantage.
Join Paul Davidson, president of Universities Canada (formerly the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada), as he looks at universities’ role in providing the skills, new knowledge and innovation Canada needs to compete, open up new markets and get fresh ideas to market faster.
Mr. Davidson will take you behind the scenes of today’s universities and illustrate how higher education is building prosperity through research, innovation and experiential learning. He’ll talk about the many ways universities provide young Canadians with the workforce experience, entrepreneurial skills and international and intercultural opportunities employers want and Canada needs. Learn how to harness the potential of universities to make Canada’s businesses, communities and regions stronger.
About Paul Davidson, President, Universities Canada (formerly the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada)Paul Davidson has played leadership roles in government, the private sector and the voluntary sector for more than 25 years.
Since Mr. Davidson joined Universities Canada in May 2009 as President and CEO, Canada’s university sector has seen substantial and exceptional investments in university research funding, increased resources for campus internationalization and a heightened awareness of the need to improve Aboriginal Canadians’ access to postsecondary education. Mr. Davidson has been named both a top lobbyist in Ottawa and a top foreign policy influencer.
Prior to joining Universities Canada, Mr. Davidson was executive director of World University Service of Canada (WUSC), a leading international development agency active on 70 campuses across Canada and in 17 other countries. He also helmed two medium-sized businesses in Toronto, and held senior positions in the Canadian book publishing sector, including five years as executive director of the Association of Canadian Publishers. In the early 1990s, Mr. Davidson led the Toronto office of a prominent government relations firm after having served as a political advisor to Ontario’s Leader of the Opposition, Treasurer and Deputy Premier.
He holds an MA from Queen’s University, where he studied southern African history and a BA from Trent University, where he was part of the first graduating class of the Trent International Program.
Mr. Davidson is married to Elly Vandenberg and they have three teenaged sons who will soon be making important choices regarding their own postsecondary education.
222 Broadway
Winnipeg, MB