With an established atmosphere of discovery across diverse disciplines, combining leading researchers and academics with some of Canada’s most outstanding academic and research facilities, the University of Saskatchewan (USask) has the bold vision to confront the world’s “wicked problems.”
A member of the U15 group of Canadian top research-intensive universities, USask aims to leverage inspired communities, courageous curiosity, and boundless collaboration to address humanity’s greatest challenges and opportunities.
There are several notable, and possibly unexpected, aspects of USask that are worth highlighting.
USask is leading the search for answers to the world’s most pressing challenges of food and water security, ensuring that future generations have the necessities of life, across the globe.
World-leading disease research and vaccine development
USask’s Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO) is a world leader in infectious disease research and vaccine development. While it gained national prominence during the pandemic as a leader in developing COVID-19 vaccines, VIDO has been researching and developing vaccines for decades. Over its history, VIDO has developed eight commercially-available vaccines, including six world firsts, with four more currently in regulatory development.
VIDO houses one of the world’s largest and most advanced containment level 3 facilities, with a vaccine manufacturing facility now under construction. To strengthen Canada’s response to emerging disease threats, VIDO recently received financial support from municipal, provincial, and federal governments and several private donors to establish a National Centre for Pandemic Research at USask.
Food and water security
Combining global expertise, unprecedented support, and incredible research facilities, USask is leading the search for answers to the world’s most pressing challenges of food and water security, ensuring that future generations have the necessities of life, across the globe.
Research in food and water security at USask occurs throughout the university within an innovation ecosystem that involves government, industry, and other partners, focusing on providing solutions that tackle local-to-global scale problems affecting water and food.
USask is ranked number one for water research among Canadian universities and leads the world’s largest university-led international freshwater research program, Global Water Futures, with more than 170 partners worldwide.
Canadian Light Source synchrotron
Recognized as “the brightest light in Canada,” USask’s Canadian Light Source (CLS) is a national research facility with a focus on innovation in the health, agriculture, environment, and advanced materials sectors.
The CLS has contributed to world-changing research in the disciplines of physics, chemistry, biology, engineering, and geology, among many others, providing researchers with a depth and breadth of knowledge unique to the only science facility of its kind in Canada.
Campus experience
Anyone studying and working at or visiting the main USask campus in Saskatoon, a city known for its arts, culture, and innovation, will notice the beauty of the university and its surroundings.
The historic campus is one of Canada’s most beautiful, with plenty of green space, stately greystone buildings, tree-lined walkways, and breathtaking river views. Embodying USask’s well-rounded approach to being “the university the world needs,” the campus boasts welcoming social spaces, seven on-campus museums and art galleries, and some of the nation’s top university sports facilities.
More than 26,000 students from over 100 countries attend USask, finding their study of choice among 130 academic programs that range from agriculture, business, law and arts, and science to engineering, medicine, and many more.
