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In support of the national goal to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions, the Center will empower collaboration between among students, academics authorities, experts and business leaders. Led by IBU Dean Dr. Artie Ng, the mission of this organization is to help engage students and other stakeholders through a range of research and knowledge-sharing activities to build up sustainability competence

The winds of change
The end of 2022 and the beginning of 2023 could not be a better example of why responsible leadership is necessary in business: the economic crisis, health issues, supply chain and labor challenges are pervasive and have been exacerbated recently by extreme weather events.
Managing a company is no longer just about competing in the market, it is a much more complex task. It’s about creating value for customers, employees, communities, and countries, but it’s also about taking a high level of responsibility. Because the companies of the future cannot afford to be green only in their slogans, they have to create formulate real and implement innovative sustainability strategy for the sake of today, tomorrow, and the day after.
Empowering future business leaders
With this goal in mind, IBU created the Center of Sustainable Business, whose main objective is to give students the interdisciplinary knowledge and experience necessary to become successful leaders in the future.
Through collaboration and interaction with many stakeholders, the Center provides IBU students with a unique opportunity to learn from and interact with leaders in academia and business. Students will be exposed to an interdisciplinary approach to social and environmental sustainability, including topics such as environmental science, and green finance and social entrepreneurship. This will encourage them to look at business performance and change from new angles.
The studies Centre will organize activities covering the following research areas:

• Entrepreneurship and Social Enterprise
• Responsible Business and Finance
• Technological Innovation for Sustainability
• Digital Transformation for Sustainability
• Sustainability Management
• ESG Investing, Finance, and Reporting
• Implementation of UN Sustainable Development Goals

Current and previous activities
After many months of preparation, the center was officially opened in early January 2023. In the meantime, IBU Dean Dr. Artie Ng and his team have organized a series of presentations since the summer of 2022 to show students what exciting and forward-looking courses they can expect.

• In July 2022, IBU joined the Inter-University Sustainable Development Research Programme (IUSDRP) – a global network of universities focused on helping students nurture synergies of a wide range of educational organizations. Fostering international collaboration and network building, while also offering access to a vast amount of up-to-date materials will help students greatly expand their knowledge of sustainable development.
• In August 2022, the Sustainability Center’s team organized a guest lecture on “My Ways to Google AI Development and Its Future”. The event was led by Marcus Chiam, a highly qualified bioinformatics graduate from the University of Toronto with a passion for AI and a strong background in data science. He shared with the IBU students the potential applications of AI in enhancing sustainable businesses. After working for He has worked ata major Canadian bank RBC for three years, he has and recently accepted a new position as a machine learning software engineer at Google.
• InOn the 28th of September 2022, students got the opportunity to learn from guest lecturers Jessica Stuart, Wendy Stuart, and Ron Stuart, who are all experts when it comes to the cross-section of arts, music and business. This was the first step in their knowledge-sharing series that fits into the Arts and Contemporary Studies class., a general education subject that links arts with social sustainability.

And these are only the first fewinitial steps taken to in ensureing that the International Business University of Toronto provides its graduates with up-to-date, ever-expanding, and truly future-ready knowledge. To learn more about the opportunities offered by the Sustainability Center, sign-up for our newsletter

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“Societal interest in supporting young people of diverse backgrounds to be innovative, resilient, tech-savvy, coachable, and team-oriented has risen with the changes in technology and the virtual business environment,” said distinguished educator and IBU’s founder and chair, Serdar Mutlu. “Traditional teaching approaches, and size and complexity of many post-secondary institutions, can be challenging to navigate for many learners who have unique circumstances and barriers. Often, this leaves this diverse talent pool behind. We want to help.”

The new IBU grants are equivalent to fifty per cent (50%) in tuition over the eight-semester Honours Bachelor of Commerce in International Management and Technology program. IBU is making available:

• 10 President’s Diversity Grants for Canadian secondary school graduates in equity-seeking groups;
• 10 President’s Humanity Grants for refugees with Canadian status.

Submissions for these particular IBU grants will require:

1. An IBU application by clicking the Apply Now button at ibu.ca;
2. A personal letter, which makes a case for the award based on the learner’s circumstances, challenges, and their commitment to developing a personalized learning and career pathway;
3. A recommendation letter from an education professional, business executive, or community leader to address the aptitude and potential of the applicant to present a convincing case for the award.

In addition to the Diversity and Humanity Grants, IBU offers attractive scholarships and tuition bursaries for all eligible Canadian secondary school graduates and working professionals. It also provides a generous financial aid package.

Joanne Shoveller IBU’s president said, the grants are part of IBU’s commitment to creating an accessible, flexible, learner-centered ecosystem. A blended learning format, which includes live, interactive classes online, also plays a role.

“Our approach builds students’ communication, critical thinking and problem-solving skills,” said Shoveller. “Self-directed learning activities foster knowledge and on-campus activities promote teamwork and community-building. Plus, individualized learning support guides each student in creating a Personalized Learning Plan. These are skills and perspectives that all learners need — even more so when they have faced challenging lived experiences.”

To highlight the accessibility and support focus, IBU will align its first application review for two days after an in-person Open House on August 10. Jason Gangaram, Director of Recruiting, Admissions and Partnerships said, interested students are invited to IBU’s 80 Bloor St. W. campus in Toronto to experience the institution firsthand.

“During our Open House, you can experience ‘a day in your life as a student at IBU, and interact with your faculty, Student Services team, and senior management including President Joanne Shoveller,” said Gangaram. “We understand that support is important in making such a decision. This event will provide a platform for our learners to get the help they need.”

IBU is accepting rolling applications for this program, with the first application review on August 12 and a secondary review on August 29. To learn more, future IBU students can contact Gangaram at [email protected]
For further information please contact:
Swarna Saini, Registrar and Director of Enrolment Services
[email protected]

The IBU Way: Personalized Learning
Newly established in Ontario, IBU is an independent, not-for-profit university that is a flexible, accessible, and personalized alternative. Graduates from IBU are prepared to adapt to a continuously changing environment.

IBU learners belong to a diverse student body with shared drive and enthusiasm, while managing their individualized objectives and circumstances. As an independent institution, IBU effectively responds to each student’s needs by creating a Personalized Learning Plan. The Plan includes a close faculty-student experience; class sizes of 30 students; dedicated student advisors; development of a networking plan with industry mentors; work-integrated learning opportunities; and a curriculum guided by skills, learning outcomes, and employer-identified high value competencies. IBU creates this unique value proposition of personalized learning through a curated lifespan approach from pre-application to graduation and beyond.

The university is also expanding its current virtual platform with a deep commitment to personalization that will support each learner as an individual. The resulting environment, whether online or in-person, is intimate, responsive, and focused on individualized education that ensures a clear pathway to success.

Working with students’ distinct backgrounds and learning styles, IBU’s educational setting and support systems create graduates who enter the workforce with carefully-tailored competencies for changing job requirements and the ability to continuously learn. Aligned with employment and future career opportunities, IBU’s eight-semester curriculum also helps learners to develop networks, provides work-integrated learning opportunities, and encourages entrepreneurship, intrapreneurship, and innovation.

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Feridun Hamdullahpur has been an engineer, educator and leader over the span of his more than 35 year career in research and higher education. He has served as President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Waterloo since 2010. A professor of mechanical engineering, Hamdullahpur holds a PhD in chemical engineering from the Technical University of Nova Scotia after earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mechanical engineering from the Technical University of Istanbul. As President of the University of Waterloo, he devoted his tenure to fostering excellence in academics and research, with a dedication to developing an innovative culture committed to experiential education. Through his stewardship, the University of Waterloo has continued its legacy as Canada’s innovation university. Throughout his career, Feridun Hamdullahpur has been an active researcher in thermo-fluids and energy engineering, a passionate teacher and an academic administrator. He has authored hundreds of scientific and academic publications and supervised over 50 graduate students. He was named a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering in 2014. He has served in various academic and administrative roles, including as a Vice-President Academic and Provost at the University of Waterloo. He continues to serve as Chair of the Waterloo Global Science Initiative since 2016; an active member of the Sorbonne Université Strategic Orientation Committee since 2014; as a member of the King Abdulaziz University International Advisory Board since 2017; and as a member of the Board of Trustees since 2020 at World Education Services. He was named a Specially Elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada (RSC) in 2018. He was awarded the l’insigne de chevalier des Palmes Académiques by the French Republic in February 2020, and the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in January 2013.

Now Dr. Hamdullahpur brings his passion for innovation and global education to IBU, Ontario’s first private, not-for-profit, teaching-focused business university. As Chancellor, Dr. Hamdullahpur will foster an entrepreneurial spirit throughout IBU’s administration, faculty, staff, and students, as they pursue their mission to produce the next generation of international business giants, making a difference both in their own communities, and abroad.

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