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Kwantlen Polytechnic University’s Chancellor Arvinder Singh Bubber
celebrates with President and Vice-Chancellor Dr. David W. Atkinson
during the official university inauguration ceremony.

October 15, 2008

Kwantlen’s university inauguration celebrates its new name and installations of Chancellor and President and Vice-Chancellor

On October 3, Kwantlen Polytechnic University celebrated its status as a new university at an inauguration ceremony where the founding Chancellor, Arvinder Singh Bubber, and founding President and Vice-Chancellor, Dr. David W. Atkinson, were officially robed and installed. It is notable that Mr. Bubber is the first university chancellor of South Asian descent to assume office in Canada. Members of the Kwantlen community and dignitaries participated in this historic inauguration as Kwantlen marked the most significant milestone of its 27 year history.

The event, attended by nearly 700 people, included the formal dedication of the university by the Honourable Mary Polak, Minister of Healthy Living and Sport, who brought greetings from the Minister of Advanced Education, the Honourable Murray Coell. Chief Marilyn Gabriel of the Kwantlen First Nation and Kwantlen Elders honoured Chancellor Bubber and President Atkinson with a traditional Blanketing Ceremony, welcoming them as leaders of the Kwantlen First Nation in a very moving ceremony.

This university inauguration celebration reaffirmed Kwantlen’s history and commitment to the communities south of the Fraser, while also embracing the future as a new kind of university addressing the diverse needs of today’s student. As Dr. David Atkinson said in his inaugural address:

"This is an extraordinary time at Kwantlen, as we work to transform the institution into a university. Our ambitions here are clear: we are not about to replicate what exists elsewhere. British Columbia, and indeed Canada, is blessed with a range of fine universities and colleges. Our goal is to find our particular place, so that our contribution is real and distinctive. Our future depends on our ability to provide students with the learning and training necessary to ensure a future personal prosperity, and to provide our country and province with graduates that can contribute to their communities."

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For more information, contact:

Peter Chevrier
Director, Marketing & Communications
Tel: 604.599.2286
peter.chevrier@kwantlen.ca