Dr. Arvind Gupta

Arvind Gupta is Professor of Computer Science at the University of Toronto. He has served as President and Vice-Chancellor of UBC, and as the CEO and Scientific Director of Mitacs Inc. He is also a founder of Palette Skills Inc. He has published extensively on theoretical computer science, computational genomics and national innovation strategies.

Arvind has a record of accomplishment for initiatives that improve Canada’s productivity and competitiveness by successfully enhancing workforce skills through industry-academic partnerships. As the founder of Mitacs, he achieved success in interweaving graduate education with socioeconomic needs by bringing together 60 universities with more than 1,000 civil society partners. Most recently, he helped create Palette Skills Inc, a Federal not-for-profit dedicated to creating transition pathways to the knowledge economy for professionals whose employment is adversely impacted by automation.

Significant service includes acting as an Innovation leader for the Federal Innovation Agenda, serving on the Federal Government’s blue-ribbon innovation panel (Jenkins panel), serving on the national Science, Technology, and Innovation Council (STIC), and serving on the BC’s Food Security Task Force.

Arvind was instrumental in creating the Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences (PIMS) and the Banff International Research Station (BIRS). He is a Senior Fellow of the Brookfield Institute and of Massey College. He serves on the Boards of the India-Canada Research Centre of Excellence (ICIMPACTS), BIRS, and SimTrec. Past service includes serving on the Boards of the Fields Institute, the Canadian Statistical Sciences Institute, Great Northern Way Trust, Canadian Mining Innovation Council, Australian Mathematical Sciences Institute, PIMS, Mitacs, the Grand-NCE (International Scientific Advisory Council), and the campaign cabinet for United Way