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University of Alberta
At the turn of
the 20th century, establishing a university in
Edmonton, a place seen by the East as “beyond the last
fringes of civilization,” was a pretty crazy idea. But
Alexander Cameron Rutherford, the first premier of
Alberta, recognized the need for a place of higher
learning. The proposed law to create the University was
passed during the first sitting of the province’s
legislature in 1906.
The University of
Alberta was officially established in 1908, with the
first classes held in rented facilities in Edmonton.
Under its President, Henry Marshall Tory, it moved in
1911 to its permanent location on the banks of the North
Saskatchewan River.
Nearly a hundred years later, the U of A is one of
Canada’s foremost research establishments and plays a
vital role in the innovation system in Alberta, and
Canada. The knowledge acquired through research
performed on campus is made available to the private
sector through the University’s technology transfer
office, TEC Edmonton. The U of A is a world leader
in several research endeavors:
The U of A will
soon be home to one of the world’s most technologically
advanced research facilities: The $52-million National
Institute for Nanotechnology (NINT), a joint project
between the Government of Canada, the National Research
Council, the Government of Alberta and the University of
Alberta. Nanotechnology is the application of science
and engineering to the world of individual atoms or
molecules, and is a revolutionary field full of
possibilities. NINT’s vision is to raise Alberta’s
global profile, establishing it as a “leading centre of
innovation and commercial enterprise in nanotechnology.”
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Heritage Community Foundation Presents
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