Feridun Hamdullahpur was appointed president and vice-chancellor of the University of Waterloo on March 11, 2011.

A professor of mechanical engineering, Dr. Hamdullahpur earned his bachelor's and master's degrees in mechanical engineering at the Technical University of Istanbul, Turkey and his Ph.D. in chemical engineering at the Technical University of Nova Scotia.

Throughout his career spanning over 35 years, Dr. Hamdullahpur has been an active researcher in thermo-fluids and energy engineering, a passionate teacher and an academic administrator. He has authored hundreds of scientific and academic publications and supervised over 50 graduate students. He was named a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering in June, 2014.

President Hamdullahpur’s central motivation is ensuring that the impact of university education, research and scholarship on our broader society is maximized through constant reform and innovation in the higher education sector. He is a leading advocate for the value of basic research and its relevance to educational excellence and economic prosperity.

His current focus at the University of Waterloo is expanding its lead in innovation, building on Waterloo’s long-standing and emerging strengths in co-operative education, research, entrepreneurship, and equity. The University of Waterloo has dominated Canadian university innovation rankings for 26 consecutive years. Its goal is to be recognized as one of the top innovation universities in the world.

In 2015 President Hamdullahpur was appointed chair of the new Leadership Council for Digital Infrastructure, an ambitious initiative to build a world leading digital infrastructure ecosystem for Canada. He is also proud to have been one of ten global university presidents appointed to the United Nation’s HeforShe Impact 10x10x10 campaign to engage boys and men in the cause of gender equity. In acknowledgement of President Hamdullahpur’s leadership in education and innovation, he was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in January, 2013.