Schulich Hosts Inaugural Class of Sustainable Infrastructure Fellowship Program
A graduation ceremony for the inaugural class of the Sustainable Infrastructure Fellowship Program was held at the Rob and Cheryl McEwen Graduate Study & Research Building on July 12, 2019.
This executive leadership program was launched in June 2018 in partnership with Investor Leadership Network (ILN) and is designed to train senior infrastructure professionals from emerging economies on how to address many of the key challenges of 21st-century infrastructure development, including climate change, the health of the world’s oceans, and the use and production of energy sources. The goal of the Program is to combine academic and hands-on experience to better align the expectations of infrastructure planners and investors to build capacity and help close the global infrastructure gap.
The academic portion of the Program was hosted by the Schulich School of Business. The first cohort of 13 Fellows represents a wide range of geographical, professional and gender diversity, with Fellows coming from nine countries on four continents and from several industry sub-sectors.
Before the graduation ceremony, the Fellows sat down with representatives from ILN and Schulich to reflect on their experience in the six-week academic program and to discuss the forward.
To kick off the celebration, Boris Remes, Program Director of the Sustainable Infrastructure Fellowship Program, delivered special opening remarks, before introducing Dr. Marcia Annisette, Associate Dean, Students and Program Director of the Master of Accounting Program to the stage. Dr. Annisette acknowledged the Fellows unwavering commitment to the program and the qualities that built the School’s international reputation.
The first cohort of Fellows heard a keynote address from Canada’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Marc-André Blanchard. “A part of the solution to complex social issues can come from unleashing the important social and economic benefits of infrastructure. This happens through developing our capacity to build sustainable infrastructure, by improving the pipeline of bankable projects, and by improving our common understanding of the criteria used by institutional investors to evaluate infrastructure projects.”
“The Fellows walk away with a knowledge and a network they might not have otherwise had,” shared Ron Mock, President and CEO of the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan. “From an ILN perspective, I know we walk away with greater understanding and what we hope will be long-lasting relationships.”
To conclude the ceremony, Sherena Hussain, Assistant Professor and Academic Director of the Sustainable Infrastructure Fellowship Program, presented each Fellow with the Master Certificate in Sustainable Infrastructure Development and Finance.
The academic portion of the Program ran from June 2 to July 12, with classroom instruction and experiential learning conducted by eminent infrastructure experts from both academia and industry, as well as training on the Sustainable Infrastructure Foundation’s SOURCE platform. Upon completion of the academic portion of the Program, Fellows participated in executive training for up to two weeks with an infrastructure group from a participating global investor.
For more information about the Sustainable Infrastructure Fellowship program, click here.