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Western University is receiving provincial funding to support 5,013 new student seats in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and health care, announced by the Ontario government on Nov. 6.
It comes as part of the government’s ongoing $1.7 billion investment to fund 70,000 new post-secondary seats in high-demand sectors at universities and colleges across the province.
“The recently announced funding from the Ministry of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security helps Western meet the substantial demand for our programs and ensures we can continue to prepare world-class graduates in critical fields that serve our region, the province and Canada,” said Western President Alan Shepard.
“This investment in multiple programs will expand access for students and create opportunities for more future leaders to pursue their career goals.”
With the latest investment, Western will receive funding to support an additional 5,013 seats, distributed over several years.
The 5,013 newly funded seats at Western University include:
- 3,515 seats for STEM programs
- 1,117 seats for health programs
- 298 seats for education programs
- 83 seats for other, labour-market driven programs
Nolan Quinn, Minister of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security, visited Western and toured labs led by engineering professors Mehrdad Kermani and Mohamed Zaki in October, exploring innovative research and meeting students in the fields of advanced robotics, artificial intelligence and autonomous systems, among others.
Kermani leads the Advanced Robotics and Mechatronics Lab, developing new approaches for human-robot collaboration to perform common tasks, including those in farms, factories and hospitals. Zaki’s multidisciplinary research is focused on smart mobility and transportation through the Emergent Mobility for Resilient Communities Lab.
“Our province’s greatest strength is our highly skilled workforce – and those workers are trained at our world-class colleges and universities,” Quinn said.
“This investment is supporting the largest seat expansion in Ontario in more than a decade and will ensure more students have the opportunity to train for good-paying careers that protect and strengthen our communities, industries and province.”
Learn more about how Western is preparing future leaders and global citizens.
