Dr. Farooqi is a distinguished academic leader and the recipient of numerous awards. The five-year term will start on July 1, 2023.
The appointment of Dr. M. Nauman Farooqi as the fourteenth President and Vice-Chancellor of St. Thomas University has been announced by Chair Peter R. Forestell KC on behalf of the Board of Governors.
Dr. Farooqi is a distinguished academic leader and the recipient of numerous awards. The five-year term will start on July 1, 2023. Dr. Farooqi “has the leadership skills, experience, and ambition to build on this and lead St. Thomas in the next stage of its development,” said Forestell.
“For more than a century, STU has played a distinctive and vital role in the post-secondary education sector in New Brunswick and Maritime Canada.”
“Dr. Farooqi has established a successful track record of program development and management over the course of a varied career in the academic, public, and private sectors. These qualities will be crucial as we move forward, as will his thoughtful and original approach to university leadership. He will be a strong supporter of post-secondary education and the liberal arts because he has a clear understanding of how knowledge and skills from the liberal arts help students prepare for their careers and advance society.”
In accordance with STU’s mission and the board-approved policies, Dr. Farooqi will provide leadership for strategic planning, academic and administrative programs, and advancement initiatives.
A committee made up of representatives from the faculty, students, board, staff, and alumni conducted a nationwide search with the help of KBRS Executive Search. Focus groups, surveys, community forums, and feedback were all used to consult the community during the search.
At Mount Allison University, Farooqi currently holds the position of Dean of Business and Social Sciences, where he is in charge of overseeing the academic divisions of Economics, Geography and Environmental Science, Political Science and International Relations, and Sociology.
The Frank McKenna School of Philosophy, Politics, and Economics hired him as its first director. He also brings expertise in international programming, pathway agreements, and academic programme development. He has participated in community activities and served on the boards of several non-profit organisations and a cooperative for economic development.
“I firmly believe that any successful business, especially a university, is built around its people. “It takes good strategy and planning to work with and lead people, but even the best plans cannot succeed without inspiring and motivating every member of the community to contribute to the achievement of our objectives,” “Farooqi said.
“Helping the university adopt a set of shared goals between students, faculty, staff, and external stakeholders like the Indigenous and local communities will be one of my main responsibilities as president and vice chancellor. I am very eager to start working at STU because of its excellent reputation for the calibre of its faculty, alumni, and students.”
Dr. Farooqi earned an MBA from Quaid-i-Azam University in Pakistan as well as a PhD in business administration from the Richard A. Chaifetz School of Business at St. Louis University in the United States.
His areas of interest in research include experiential learning and hawala (informal value transfer systems). His record of accomplishments includes presentations at academic conferences, publications in peer-reviewed conference proceedings, and publications in academic journals.
He has been a keynote speaker at 90 conferences both domestically and abroad and has given guest lectures at both domestic and foreign universities.
David Ferguson, vice chair of the board of governors and chair of the presidential search committee, said of Dr. Farooqi’s career trajectory, commitment to liberal arts, and strong financial acumen in the context of higher education, “We were very impressed by these. We are excited to welcome him to St. Thomas because he brings a skill set that complements the leadership that already exists at the university and has proven his ability to bring people together to develop innovative solutions.”
“We are aware of his eagerness to establish cooperative working relationships with members of our campus community and outside partners”, he further added.