Heather Munroe-Blum, O.C. O.Q. Ph.D. FRSC

Biography:
Heather Munroe-Blum is Principal and Vice-Chancellor of McGill University and Professor in Medicine. A distinguished psychiatric epidemiologist, she has dedicated her career to the advancement of higher education, science and innovation, in Canada and internationally, advising governments and other organizations on the role that universities and research play in advancing international competitiveness and enriching societies.

Prof. Munroe-Blum serves on numerous not-for-profit and private boards. She is President of the Conférence des recteurs et des principaux des universités du Québec (CREPUQ) and she serves on the executive committees of the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC) and the Association of American Universities (AAU). She chairs the AUCC Standing Advisory Committee on University Research (SACUR), and is a member of the Board of Governors of the Council of Canadian Academies. She is also a member of the federal Science, Technology and Innovation Council (STIC), of the Canada Foundation for Innovation, and of the Trilateral Commission. She serves on the boards of the Sir Mortimer B. Davis Jewish General Hospital, the Conférence de Montréal, the Yellow Pages Group, and the Canada Forum of Rio Tinto Alcan. She was a founding director of the Medical and Related Sciences Discovery District (MARS) and Genome Canada (where she also served as Vice-Chair of the Board) and has also served on the boards of the former Medical Research Council of Canada, Neurosciences Canada, the Four Seasons Hotel, Alcan, and Hydro One, among others.

Prof. Munroe-Blum holds a Ph.D. with distinction in epidemiology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, in addition to M.S.W. (Wilfrid Laurier University) and B.A. and B.S.W. degrees (McMaster University). Named an Officer of the Order of Canada for her outstanding record of achievements in science, innovation and higher education policy, she holds numerous honorary degrees from Canadian and international universities. Prof. Munroe-Blum is a Specially Elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and a Senior Fellow of Massey College. She was named a Grande Montréalaise, Montréal’s highest honour, in 2008 and received the National Order of Quebec in June 2009.

Prof. Munroe-Blum is married to screenwriter and teacher, Len Blum, and they have one daughter.

Abstract:
The previous decade has seen significant investments to promote science, technology and innovation, but also a new focus on measuring innovation and productivity indicators and beginning to benchmark against national and international peers. Canada’s Science, Technology and Innovation System: State of the Nation 2008, released by the Science, Technology and Innovation Council (STIC), created a baseline for understanding where Canada stands in the world and will allow a monitoring of progress over time on key performance indicators. Reports from several governmental and advisory bodies, and numerous organizations, such as the Conference Board of Canada, the Competition Review Panel and the Canadian Council of Academies, are closely tracking Canada’s performance, analyzing our assets and proposing solutions.

The message is clear: there is a serious need to improve Canada’s competitiveness. Notwithstanding our strengths as a country, we must transform Canada into an innovation society with forward-thinking leadership and a coherent and robust vision for innovation. Canadians can weave wealth creation with strong social values, bringing our concerns for environmental impact, global health, and the need to address disparities for the disenfranchised together with widespread educational achievement, technological uptake, and national and international experience and knowledge, enhancing our competitiveness and advancing our place as a leading civil society.