UNBC Makes List of Top Ten “Green” Engineering Schools in Canada


September 18, 2012

The University of Northern British Columbia has placed in the top ten on a list of schools offering undergraduate-level engineering programs in Canada. The magazine Corporate Knights released the 2012 Annual Knight Schools Survey on Monday, which is described as “the definitive annual ranking that analyzes how Canadian universities are faring at integrating sustainability into the school experience.”

The magazine—a national supplement of the Globe and Mail newspaper—placed UNBC’s environmental engineering program (a collaboration with UBC) eighth in Canada above many much older and larger institutions such as the University of Alberta, Carleton, Concordia, and Ryerson.

“To be recognized nationally among some of the country's most notable universities is an honour,” says UNBC President George Iwama. “It recognizes the foundation we have started to create with our faculty, students, and education partners as we aim to expand our offerings in engineering to be of better service to communities and industry of our region at this critical time of growth and development."

Special mention of UNBC’s inclusion on the list was made in the survey’s editorial section. “One notable addition to the list is UNBC, which is in the process of expanding its engineering faculty to keep up with the extensive economic development and resource extraction efforts occurring in B.C.’s north. It offers a joint degree in environmental engineering with the University of British Columbia, helping UNBC land an overall ranking of eighth, supported by top marks in both required and elective courses dedicated to social or environmental impact management.”

“UNBC’s environmental engineering program, in collaboration with UBC, has been growing steadily since inception and our success is due to our faculty, staff, and students,” says Dan Ryan, UNBC’s Dean of the College of Science and Management. “We see our role as developing forward-thinking engineers with the skills to ensure that we build environmentally sustainable industries within northern communities.”

The assessment, now in its ninth year, scored Canadian MBA programs and undergraduate Engineering programs in the areas of institutional support, student initiatives, and course work.
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UNBC Environmental Engineering Student Kim Gulevich
UNBC Environmental Engineering student Kimberly Gulevich of Fort St. John examines some biomass at the University's Bioenergy Plant.

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