YouAlberta
Early this fall, I had the opportunity to sit down with Bill Flanagan - 14th President and Vice Chancellor of the U of A, on my podcast - The Inflection Point. From entrepreneurship and innovation to college days in France, I had the chance to not only learn more about President Flanagan as a person but also uncover some of the learnings from his early days as a student.
You can also listen to the full episode on Spotify at - The Inflection Point.
Let's take a look at the highlights!
How was your trip to Europe this summer?
President Flanagan: It was excellent! We had a great trip. We were in Copenhagen, where my nephew got married. We spent some time in Berlin, and then we went all the way to the south of Italy to Apulia, which is the "heel" of the boot of Italy. That was a lot of fun!
How do you usually start your day?
President Flanagan: I like kind of a quiet morning. I like coffee, and I like to read the paper. I recently downloaded Apple News, which is fantastic because you get access to newspapers and magazines from all over the world, so I get to jump from The Guardian to The Telegraph to Toronto Star to The Globe and Mail to The Edmonton Journal, whatever I like. I enjoy that!
Do you prefer coffee or tea? Any favourite cafes?
President Flanagan: I like coffee in the morning! There's a nice cafe just in Glenora, close to where I live. I enjoy that spot!
What was it like filling in the shoes of the next President of U of A in early 2020?
President Flanagan: Well, it was a tumultuous time for everyone. I recall the announcement was to be on March 20, 2020. I was supposed to fly the following day. The chair of the board called me and said, "I don't think you should get on an airplane because we don't know what's happening in the world." This was just as COVID was starting, and everybody was wondering what on earth was going on in the world. It's kind of hard to imagine now what a time of uncertainty and alarm that was. Anyway, I wasn't able to come out for the announcement, which is traditional for the incoming president of the university. I was really disappointed, of course, because this was the start of a great new adventure for me, and this was when the world was being engulfed by the pandemic. A matter of weeks earlier, we also experienced $220 million cuts in funding from the provincial government to the U of A. That was an unusual way to begin a new job.
How were the first few days in your new role in such unprecedented times?
President Flanagan: There were some silver linings to all of this chaos that was engulfing the world as I could participate very easily in meetings, General Faculty Councils, board meetings and so forth, just like all of us, by a computer and spending hours and hours on my computer on Zoom calls. The advantage to that was I could engage very quickly and in a deep way in the life of the university. With the largest budget cuts in the history of the university, coupled with the pandemic, we really needed to come up with a plan very quickly. There was no other option! It required a plan, a steady hand and a real vision. So, I thought we needed to get to work very quickly, and this was when we developed the University of Alberta for Tomorrow (UAT) initiative.
Image: President Bill Flanagan with Ishan outside the Van Vliet center.
What are the drivers of entrepreneurial innovation in Edmonton?
President Flanagan: Edmonton has a very vibrant startup and an entrepreneurial culture. It is a city that attracts people. Excellent quality of life! I believe right at the heart of this big culture of entrepreneurial innovation is the U of A and the students that we draw not only from across Alberta, Canada, but from around the world who then go on to do amazing things. I think that is the Edmonton story; that is the Alberta story where you will find the U of A at the heart of it, drawing the talent, providing the training and opening the doors that drive that innovation forward. I want U of A to be the kind of university where students come to advance their skills because they believe it will invest in their ideas as an entrepreneur. That's what we are aiming for with the launch of the University of Alberta Innovation Fund. The ultimate goal is to make U of A a university renowned for its innovation around the world.
What is a key trait you must have as a founder?
President Flanagan: You have to have a balance between being fearless and also being sensible. Foolish risks are unlikely to succeed. There's no point to that. But at the same time, if you are too cautious, you are going to miss opportunities that come your way. Don't be afraid of going outside of your comfort zone and taking risks, but don't take foolish risks at the same time. If you are setting out to be an entrepreneur, you are going to fail, but it is how you learn from that is how you grow.
What do you recommend to a student who feels they can develop the skills necessary to enter today's workforce outside of school?
President Flanagan: That's a terrible mistake! Universities are where you send young people to learn and grow, open their minds and open doors for them. It is such an important formative time in a young person's life. All of the fields of education are giving you critical thinking abilities, communication, working in teams, engaging and strategy, and doing all of the things that I do as the president. And all of the skills that I learned and studied during my early days in university. So I would say to a student, acquiring those skills, particularly at a young age, is so important! Not only to what you will do in terms of career but, more importantly, what you will do in your life. And the richness of your life. The way you engage with your community and communicate with the world. My parents always always knew that education was itself a great value. And they were right! And I will say that to any young person today.
How would you define an Inflection Point?
President Flanagan: It's a great turning point. It is where there's a dramatic shift, whether up or down, exponential growth or exponential decline. It is something you can point to. This happened, this was the outcome and it was dramatic—inflection points matter. You don't want to miss them.
What advice would you give to students?
President Flanagan: Don't be afraid to step outside of your comfort zone!
What's next for U of A?
President Flanagan: We've just launched the new University Strategic Plan. I think it sets a very ambitious vision for the U of A for the next five to ten years. One of the great opportunities for the U of A in Alberta, which is a very young & dynamic province, is drawing people from around the world. The numbers are growing, especially in the age demographic of 18-22 years old. Alberta is projected to grow by as much as 20 percent in the next 5 years. Our application rates are soaring at the U of A. We need to grow to accommodate the growing demand. The strategic plan outlines a very ambitious target to grow our student population by as much as 35 percent in the next ten years, which would take us from 44,000 students to 60,000 students. If we can get there, not only would this increase our impact as an institution and more opportunities for students, but of course, we will have to hire a lot of faculty to support all of these additional students. All of those faculty will be engaging in amazing research and will continue to build up the research reputation of the university. I see this as an opportunity for us to be even more impactful as a university that is driving innovation in Alberta, Canada and around the world.