We acknowledge and are grateful to live and work on the unceded territory of the Coast Salish Peoples, including the territories of the xwməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), Stó:lō, and Səl ̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations.

ABOUT UBC

The University of British Columbia (UBC) is a global centre for teaching, learning and research, consistently ranked among the top 20 public universities in the world and recently recognized as North America’s most international university.

Since 1915, our motto, Tuum Est (It is Yours), has been a declaration of our commitment to attracting and supporting those who have the drive to shape a better world. As a result, UBC students, faculty and staff continue to embrace innovation and challenge the status quo, placing us at the forefront of discovery, learning and engagement. UBC encourages bold thinking, curiosity and initiative, so you can realize your greatest potential.

Vision

Inspiring people, ideas and actions for a better world.

Purpose

Pursuing excellence in research, learning and engagement to foster global citizenship and advance a sustainable and just society across British Columbia, Canada and the world.

Values

• Vancouver is consistently ranked one the world’s most livable cities. The bustling downtown core is just minutes from world-renowned ski resorts, pristine beaches and natural forest.
• Vancouver is called “Hollywood North” because of the large number of movies and TV shows filmed in and around the city. These have included The X-Files, Mission Impossible, Twilight, X-Men, and Fifty Shades of Grey. Visit Tourism Vancouver’s new film portal for more information.
• In January 2018 Vancouver was named among the best cities to live and work as a movie maker by Movie Maker Magazine.
• Vancouver has produced top artists, actors and musicians including Michael Bublé, Sarah McLachlan, Wanting Qu, Michael J. Fox, Ryan Reynolds, Seth Rogan, Jeff Wall, Douglas Coupland, and Jason Wu.
• Hootsuite, Flickr, Lululemon, Plenty of Fish, and Lions Gate Films are all companies that were founded in Vancouver. Non-profit environmental organizations Greenpeace and Adbusters also started here.
• In an age of instant global communication, Vancouver is fortunate to be in a time zone that allows access to all three centres of world commerce (London, New York, Hong Kong) in a single working day.
• Vancouver’s award-winning airport (ranked best in North America for the tenth consecutive year) is less than half an hour from downtown and is connected by a light rail train called the Canada Line that was built for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games.
• Vancouver has hosted major international events including Expo ’86, the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup, the HSBC Canada Ruby Sevens, ISU World Figure Skating Championships, the World Junior Hockey Championships.
• The City of Vancouver has set the ambitious goal of becoming the world’s greenest city by 2020.
• Vancouver is well-known for urban planning and design. In fact, “Vancouverism” has become global shorthand for sustainable urban development.
• Vancouverites’ enjoyment of the mountains and ocean has spurred development of a performance and technical apparel industry that is conquering world markets (notable companies include Lululemon, Arc’Teryx, Hershel, Native and RYU).
• Vancouver embodies multiculturalism not as a slogan but as part of everyday life. The city is renowned for world-class cuisine that fuses cultural ingredients and influences with local sourcing and sustainable practices.

A SAMPLING OF RANKINGS

• Capital of Food: Vancouver – The Economist’s1843 (2018)
• Best Places to Live and Work – Movie Maker Magazine (2018)
• 2^nd Best Country Globally: Canada – US News & World Report (2017)
• #1 Highest-Rated Destination Site for a Business Meeting – STR’s DestinationMAP (2017)
• Best in Destinations Canada – Travel Weekly Readers’ Choice Awards (2017)
• 2017 Destination of the Year: Canada – Travel + Leisure (2017)
• Best Cities in the World – Conde Nast Traveler (2017)
• #1 Startup City in the World – PeoplePerHour Startup City Index (2017)
• 3^rd Most Liveable City in the World – Global Liveablity Report (2017)
• Favourite Canadian City – Travel Press Agents’ Choice Awards (2017)
• One of the World’s Best City Beaches: English Bay – The Guardian (2016)
• Best Destination in Canada – Travel Weekly Readers’ Choice Awards (2014, 2015)
• Top 10 cities in the USA and Canada – Travel + Leisure (2013)
• Best quality of living in North America, fifth best quality of living in the world – Mercer (2012)
• Best Airport in North America – The World Airport Awards (2011)
• World’s most livable city – Economist Intelligence Unit (2010)

INNOVATIVE COMPANIES BORN IN VANCOUVER

• Hootsuite – social media management system with more than seven million users in 175 countries.
• Arc’Teryx – technical outdoor apparel company
• Lululemon – yoga wear company
• Herschel Supply Co. – trendy backpacks and duffel bags (sales soared by 900 percent between 2010 and 2011)
• Flickr – image and video hosting website
• Slack – productivity and communication platform for organizations
• Plenty of Fish – free online dating website employing 66 people in Vancouver
• Mountain Equipment Co-Op – outdoor recreation apparel cooperative founded in 1971, now across Canada
• Lions Gate Films – one of the most successful film distributors in the world, founded here in 1997
• Greenpeace – international environmental organization, founded here in 1972
• Indochino – online menswear company
• Native – purveyors of foam form shoes.
• Six Hundred Four – a boutique shoe gallery with shoes designed by local artists. A chunk of the proceeds go to charity

VANCOUVER BY NUMBERS

• PlentyOfFish employs over 75 staff in Vancouver, and deals with the romance of 60 million users
• HootSuite has close to 1,000 staff located in Vancouver and worldwide, and more than 15 million users in more than 175 countries
• Vancouver boasts more than 1,500 yoga classes a week—not bad for a city of only 600,000
• Amazon has 50,000 square feet of office space set to open by 2020, and aims to add 1,000 tech jobs
• Going local: 49% new local food and green jobs have been introduced since 2010
• By 2020 the city will require all new buildings to be constructed with carbon neutral operations. Since 2007, there has been a 43% decrease in greenhouse gases (per square mile) from new buildings.