Feridun Hamdullahpur

Feridun Hamdullahpur has been an engineer, educator and leader over the span of his more than 35 year career in research and higher education. President Hamdullahpur has served as the sixth President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Waterloo since 2010.

A professor of mechanical engineering, President 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, President Hamdullahpur has devoted his tenure to fostering excellence in academics and research, with a dedication to developing an innovative culture committed to experiential education. Through President Hamdullahpur’s stewardship, the University of Waterloo has continued its legacy as Canada’s innovation university.

Throughout his career, President 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.

President Hamdullahpur’s central motivation is ensuring that the impact of university education, research and scholarship on our broader society is maximized through constant reform and innovation in the higher education sector. He is a leading advocate for the value of basic research and its relevance to academic excellence, economic prosperity and societal development.

His current focus at the University of Waterloo is expanding its lead in innovation, building on Waterloo’s long-standing and emerging strengths in co-operative education, research, entrepreneurship and equity.

President Hamdullahpur is proud to have been one of ten global university presidents appointed to the United Nation’s HeforShe Impact 10x10x10 campaign to engage boys and men in the cause of gender equity.

The President continues to serve in many roles on committees and boards including 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.

The President was named a Specially Elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada (RSC) in 2018. This designation recognizes individuals who have made exceptionally valuable contributions to promoting the objectives of the RSC in ways that contribute significantly to Canadian society.

In acknowledgment of President Hamdullahpur’s leadership in education and innovation, 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.