Feridun Hamdullahpur CM[3] (born 1953 or 1954)[1] is the chancellor of International Business University. Previously, he was the president and vice-chancellor of the University of Waterloo.[4] Hamdullahpur was named the sixth president of the University of Waterloo in March 2011.[5][6] Hamdullahpur's term ended on July 1, 2021, when his successor, Vivek Goel, took office.
Feridun Hamdullahpur | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Hamdullahpur in 2016 | |
| 6th President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Waterloo | |
| In office October 1, 2010 – June 30, 2021 | |
| Chancellor | Tom Jenkins Dominic Barton |
| Preceded by | David Lloyd Johnston |
| Succeeded by | Vivek Goel |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1953 or 1954 (age 69–70)[1] Turkey |
| Spouse | Cathy Hamdullahpur (née Johnson) |
| Children | 2 sons (Brian, Kevin) [2] |
| Education | Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in mechanical engineering PhD in chemical engineering |
| Alma mater | Istanbul Technical University Technical University of Nova Scotia |
| Occupation | Academic |
| Awards | Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal l’insigne de chevalier des Palmes Académiques |
| Signature |  |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | mechanical engineering |
| Institutions | |
| Thesis | Two Phase Flow Behaviour in the Freeboard of a Gas Fluidized Bed (1985) |
Early life
Hamdullahpur was born in Turkey to an Iranian Azerbaijani father and a Turkish mother. He is the youngest of five brothers. His businessman father, Nasri, died of liver disease before Hamdullahpur turned one. His mother, Merziye, raised her five sons in Turkey.[1] He moved from Turkey to Nova Scotia in 1981 where he met his wife, Cathy. Cathy was 21, a fourth-year nursing student at Dalhousie University.[7]They married in Halifax on June 28, 1985, and later traveled to Turkey for a small ceremony with family[citation needed].
Education
Hamdullahpur attended the Istanbul Technical University earning his undergraduate degree and his master's in mechanical engineering. He moved to Canada to do a PhD at the Technical University of Nova Scotia, which is now part of Dalhousie University.[4]
Prior to being appointed president, Hamdullahpur was Waterloo's vice president academic and provost, a role which he held for just over a year before being appointed interim president. Prior to this, Hamdullahpur held various roles at Carleton University in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
Career
After completing his time as president and vice-chancellor of the University of Waterloo, Hamdullahpur continues to serve on several boards, including as a board director for AMTD Group of which he started a relationship with the overall group since 2015 as an Independent Chairman of the Firmwide Executive Management Committee.[8] He also currently serves as a member of ApplyBoard's Canadian Advisory Board[9] and as a member of the Honorary Treasurer for the Association of Commonwealth Universities.[10]
He was appointed to the Order of Canada in 2022.[3]