As Newfoundland and Labrador’s only university, Memorial has a special obligation to the people of this province. Established as a memorial to the Newfoundlanders who lost their lives on active service during the First World War and subsequent conflicts, Memorial University draws inspiration from these sacrifices of the past as we help to build a better future for our province, our country and our world.
At Memorial University more than 18,000 students from over 100 countries come together to discover. From the classics to advanced technology, Memorial offers certificate, diploma, undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate programs across four campuses and online. A global network of more than 90,000 accomplished alumni throughout the world strengthens Memorial University’s capacity and reputation for leadership in research, teaching and public engagement.
Over 40% of Memorial’s research is ocean-related (in just the Faculty of Science it’s 68%). If there’s research happening in the North Atlantic, there’s a high likelihood Memorial University is involved. In fact, Memorial is a partner with the Ocean Frontier Institute, a $220 million collaborative research initiative aimed at harnessing the vast potential of the world’s ocean. Memorial is also part of Canada’s Ocean Supercluster, a private sector-led partnership using innovation and commercialization to drive increased sustainable economic growth from our oceans. As one of the top 20 research universities in Canada, Memorial has more than 30 research centres and received more than $100 million in research funding in 2016-17. Memorial and its funding partners have long believed in investing in talented students and we’re proud to say we have more than 1,500 graduate fellowships and 840 PhD students.
Memorial is privileged to be able to bring together students, faculty and staff from Canada and other countries, building mutual respect, cultural understanding and meaningful relationships. That’s why Memorial is committed to internationalization, international co-operation, student mobility and cultural sensitivity. According to the Canadian Association for Graduate Studies, Newfoundland and Labrador has the highest percentage of full-time international master’s and doctoral students in Canada. In 2015, Memorial ranked first among Canadian universities in the International Student Barometer in the category of support from the graduate school.
Memorial’s vibrant entrepreneurial culture inspires students, faculty and staff to embrace innovation and challenge convention. Memorial students have a long history of success in national and international entrepreneurship competitions. In nine of the past 10 years, Memorial has been crowned national champion in annual competitions of Enactus, an international non-profit organization promoting student entrepreneurship. We’re incredibly proud that Memorial is a two-time winner of the Enactus World Cup. Investing in entrepreneurs and contributing to the development of an attractive entrepreneurial ecosystem within Newfoundland and Labrador, Memorial has three centres dedicated to supporting entrepreneurship.
Today about 19,000 students are enrolled in Memorial’s undergraduate, graduate and professional programs which span a wide range of disciplines. Memorial is committed to student-centred and experiential learning in multiple modes and settings. The university has key locations are in St. John's and Corner Brook in Newfoundland, Happy Valley-Goose Bay in Labrador, and Harlow in England and offers extensive on-line courses and programs. With a bicameral system of governance like many Canadian universities, Memorial University has a Senate that oversees academic affairs and a Board of Regents that oversees all other matters. The institutional leader is the president and vice-chancellor, who is supported by the university’s administrative leadership.