News

Grand Opening celebrations took place at Concordia University of Edmonton (CUE) as Minister Amarjeet Sohi officially opened the new 30,000 sq.ft. Allan Wachowich Centre for Science, Research, and Innovation, with CUE student, Julia De Benedetto, cutting the ceremonial ribbon.

The $15.9 million state-of-the-art building is the largest building project in the 98-year history of the university and was made possible by the Post-Secondary Institutions Strategic Investment Fund award by the federal government. “Our government’s investments at Concordia University of Edmonton are creating the right conditions for innovation. This infrastructure supports state-of-the-art facilities, labs and modern learning spaces essential for skills development,” said the Honourable Amarjeet Sohi, Minister of Natural Resources.

A capital campaign is also underway, where contributions from big-hearted donors are making a positive impact on the student innovation at CUE. Such donors include BMO Financial Group who made a generous lead gift of $500,000. “At BMO, we believe that it is our responsibility to be a catalyst for positive change. As such, supporting quality education and learning has long been a cornerstone of our community investment program,” said Vanessa Laroque, Regional Vice President, Albert North Business Banking. “The BMO Centre for Innovation and Applied Research will provide a streamlined, community-friendly approach for applied research, consulting, project collaboration, entrepreneurship and business incubation services. The Centre is Concordia’s commitment to taking a lead role in the development of entrepreneurs of tomorrow, and we could not be more proud to be a part of the journey with the University.”

The facility is home to a variety of pioneering initiatives that are geared towards helping diversity Alberta’s economy, such as:

• nurturing knowledge and understanding among students and the community at the Indigenous Knowledge & Research Centre;
• stimulating applied research in areas such as applied artificial intelligence, environmental science and public health through the newly-named BMO Centre for Innovation and Applied Research, and the Simulation Lab;
• advance research in clinical psychology;
• innovative and collaborative research with community and industry partners in the state-of-the-art chemistry and biology labs;
• fostering collaboration and bridging local individuals and communities with China and Asia through the Centre for Chinese Studies, as well as cultivating life-long learning through the Office of Extension and Culture.

“This facility opens a new chapter for CUE, one in which our students and professors can research and learn together in ways that were not possible before,” President Tim Loreman explains. “The Allan Wachowich Centre for Science, Research, and Innovation places us at the very forefront of innovative, research-driven small universities in Canada.”