University of Toronto launches new Institute for Pandemics

In a time where the world is facing a global pandemic, the University of Toronto has launched their new Institute for Pandemics after receiving support from Canada’s Vohra Miller Foundation.

According to the university, this institute is the first academic centre in the world to “prevent, prepare for, fight and recover from pandemics.”

It will focus on three streams including pandemic readiness, pandemic resilience, and pandemic recovery and will be forged by experts’ frontline experience fighting the coronavirus.

The university has thanked both Sabina Vohra-Miller and Craig Miller for “their generous $1 million gift to support research, education and knowledge translation activities related to pandemic risk, readiness, resilience, and recovery.”

Adalsteinn Brown, the director of the Institute for Pandemics, has said the launch will “ramp up research and training for more agile, equitable preparation, resilience and recovery from pandemics.”

Professors include Ross Upshur, a co-Chair of the WHO COVID-19 Ethics Working Group, and James Scott, the Head of DLSPH’s Division of Occupational and Environmental Health.

“The Institute is urgently committed to help Canada and our planet. Starting now,” their website said.

Earlier this week, the University of Toronto earned top marks in the latest Shanghai academic research rankings.

It was once again ranked the top Canadian university and among the top 25 universities in the world in the Ranking of World Universities.

The ShanghaiRanking Consultancy moved U of T up one position to 23 overall. The university also ranked seventh among North American public universities and 12 among global public universities.