McMaster leaders to take on key national and international roles in 2024

Two senior leaders at McMaster University are taking on sector-wide leadership roles, nationally and internationally this year.

Susan Tighe, provost and vice-president (Academic) has been elected chair of the U15 Academic Affairs Committee, which brings together provosts from 15 research-intensive universities in Canada for regular meetings.

“We are thrilled to welcome Susan as the new chair,” says Chad Gaffield, CEO of the U15 Group of Canadian Research Universities. “Susan’s extensive experience as an educator and as a professional engineer will offer invaluable guidance and insight for the committee.”

The U15 Group collaborates on various issues related to higher education and research.

The Academic Affairs Committee supports the exchange of knowledge, development of best practices and cooperation to foster excellence in teaching and learning for students and academics. It also has the mandate to advocate to federal decision makers on policies affecting education and academic activities.

“It is an honour to have been elected chair,” Tighe says. “The experiences I have gained as McMaster’s provost, a position that sees me work with talented leaders from across our university, will strengthen this important national group that is committed to fostering highly-qualified research talent in Canada.”

In addition to serving as chair of the Academic Affairs Committee, Tighe is also a member of the Ontario Council of Academic Vice-Presidents (OCAV) executive committee and is a member of the Times Higher Education World University Rankings advisory board.

On the global front, Bonny Ibhawoh, vice-provost (International), has been named to the Universitas 21 (U21) Advisory Committee on the African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA).

The U21 is an international network of 29 research-intensive universities founded in 1997 to promote collaboration and cooperation among member universities in areas such as research, teaching, and student exchange.

“We were delighted when Bonny agreed to join the Advisory Committee,” says U21 Provost Jenny Dixon. “Bonny’s expertise in human rights and African history, along with his understanding of African and global development issues, is highly valuable for us as we develop a new form of partnership and engage with another network.”

“I have already found Bonny’s perspective and insights on the African context and histories to be immensely helpful as we consider how we might advance our collaborations,” Dixon added.

Ibhawoh was among a group of U21 senior leaders who presented on international collaborations at the ARUA biennial conference on African Higher Education held in Lagos in November 2023.

“I’m excited to be a contributor to U21’s first network to network partnership,” Ibhawoh says. “ARUA offers a reach into a complex geographic region with the potential for valuable international partnerships for U21 members, including McMaster.”