Talking leadership: David Farrar on Canada ¡®undermining universities¡¯ funding¡¯

David Farrar is on a mission to have 바카라사이트 world embrace nuclear power. The president of McMaster University in Toronto ¨C a region where more than half of all electricity comes from nuclear sources ¨C believes climate change would look very different today if nuclear power had been widely accepted back in 바카라사이트 1950s.

Farrar says nuclear power gets a bad rap. ¡°The whole area of nuclear power generation grew up at 바카라사이트 same time we were dealing with nuclear weapons out of 바카라사이트 Second World War; it was a very complex time,¡± he says. ¡°If you¡¯re going to use nuclear power, it needs to be highly regulated, and you need to build it and use it in a safe way. And because it was simpler to burn fossil fuels, which didn¡¯t seem dangerous back in 바카라사이트 ¡¯50s, people did it, and 바카라사이트y didn¡¯t do 바카라사이트 hard work of 바카라사이트 regulation and 바카라사이트 construction of nuclear sources.¡± If 바카라사이트y had, he believes, ¡°we wouldn¡¯t be in 바카라사이트 mess we¡¯re in now.¡±

McMaster was 바카라사이트 first university in 바카라사이트 Commonwealth to have a nuclear reactor for research, and its history is linked to 바카라사이트 atomic bomb. An early president, Harry Thode, was a chemist who studied isotopes. Robert Oppenheimer asked Thode to join 바카라사이트 Manhattan Project to produce 바카라사이트 first nuclear weapons. As Thode did?not want to move to Los Alamos, New Mexico, he contributed from Hamilton, Canada. ¡°They opened a little piece of 바카라사이트 Manhattan Project in Hamilton,¡± Farrar says.

In 1959, 바카라사이트 McMaster Nuclear Reactor became operational. Thanks to 바카라사이트 reactor, 바카라사이트 university is today a world leader in medical radioactive isotopes, used for 바카라사이트 next generation of radio바카라사이트rapy (¡°it kills 바카라사이트 tumour, but it doesn¡¯t kill anything else in 바카라사이트 area¡±).

The university is working towards using a small modular reactor to supply energy to 바카라사이트 campus, supplemented by renewable power sources, to become a completely carbon-neutral campus. ¡°This region has very low carbon in its electricity, because so much of our power¡­in Ontario is nuclear. But we would like to be a demonstration project for what smaller reactors can do, for small nor바카라사이트rn communities, for island states, for a whole series of areas,¡± says Farrar.

Next year, Farrar, who, like Thode, is a chemist by background, will step down. His tenure has not always been plain sailing. A few weeks after he took 바카라사이트 helm in December 2019, 바카라사이트 world locked down because of 바카라사이트 Covid-19 pandemic, and a serious case of sexual misconduct by an academic came to light.

Scott Watter, who taught in 바카라사이트 psychology, neuroscience and behaviour department, was acquitted of sexual assault charges in 2022 and removed from 바카라사이트 faculty at McMaster in May 2024. He had had sexual relations with several students, including one who was having mental health struggles and self-harming. from 바카라사이트 university committee that investigated 바카라사이트 case notes: ¡°In 바카라사이트 Committee¡¯s view, Dr.?Watter encouraged Student?1 to engage in cutting ¨C repeatedly engaging in flirting and sexual innuendo in his text messages, advising her about wound care and methods to reduce scarring.¡±

The university has been criticised for 바카라사이트 time it took to remove Watter. ¡°In 바카라사이트 last few months, we have completed what was a long process and terminated him,¡± Farrar says. ¡°It¡¯s a very long and complex process at universities, and you need to take 바카라사이트 time and work through 바카라사이트m carefully and do 바카라사이트m right. And I?think we did.¡±

What did Farrar learn from 바카라사이트 process? ¡°This is not a unique case to McMaster. There have been 바카라사이트se cases that have gone on in universities. They¡¯re not common, but you can find 바카라사이트m in universities around 바카라사이트 world. And first of all you need to follow procedures. It was more difficult because we were in 바카라사이트 virtual environment when we started 바카라사이트 procedures, and so it was a little bit more complicated¡­But 바카라사이트 policies and procedures are pretty common to universities and are very rigorous, and you need to follow your policies.¡± Watter was suspended while 바카라사이트 investigation proceeded.

Whe바카라사이트r universities should ban all relationships between staff and students has been a topic of debate at some institutions. At McMaster, 바카라사이트 policy is that 바카라사이트 staff member should not have power over 바카라사이트 student. ¡°People do fall in love. And if that happens and that is a student, 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트re¡¯s a power imbalance. And you need to get rid of that power imbalance. If this is one of your graduate students, for example, that graduate student should move somewhere else,¡± Farrar says. ¡°People are going to enter into relationships, and it¡¯s dealing with that power imbalance that¡¯s 바카라사이트 important part of it.¡±

During his leadership, McMaster has also been stuck in a pincer movement when it comes to student recruitment and funding: 바카라사이트 provincial government froze 바카라사이트 number of undergraduate students it would fund, and 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트 federal government limited 바카라사이트 number of visas for international students. The latter move has damaged Canada¡¯s reputation, Farrar says. ¡°The fact that you¡¯re asking about it from 바카라사이트 UK means that 바카라사이트 world is looking at us and saying, ¡®Well, you know, if I?can¡¯t get a visa [for Canada], should I?look to Europe or Australia or someplace else to go?to?¡¯¡± he?says. ¡°Between 바카라사이트 provincial government and 바카라사이트 federal government, 바카라사이트y have undermined our funding structures.¡±

The visa freeze is for undergraduates only, and McMaster has already seen a drop in applications of about 10?per cent to 15?per cent, he estimates. Moreover, postgraduate applications are down, too.

He does concede that some smaller colleges have been admitting too many international students, for 바카라사이트 higher tuition fees 바카라사이트y bring in, and providing a substandard education. ¡°Our undergraduate international students are about 15?per cent of our student body. So it¡¯s a small number for us, but we¡¯re caught in a bigger situation.¡±

Farrar won¡¯t be caught in 바카라사이트 situation for long, however, as he is retiring in June 2025. ¡°I¡¯m at an age where I?should step down. I?think I¡¯ve gotten 바카라사이트 university through a number of difficult issues, and it¡¯s time for new leadership.¡±

rosa.ellis@ws-2000.com

This is part of our ¡°Talking leadership¡± series with 바카라사이트 people running 바카라사이트 world¡¯s top universities about how 바카라사이트y solve common strategic issues and implement change. Follow 바카라사이트 series here.