Allan Rock

Allan Rock is President of the University of Ottawa, one of Canada’s leading research universities.

A 1971 graduate of the University’s Faculty of Law, he practised for over two decades as a trial lawyer with the Faskens firm in Toronto. He was inducted as a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers in 1988. He was elected by his peers as head of Ontario’s Law Society in 1992.

In 1993, Allan Rock was elected to the Canadian Parliament, and was re-elected in 1997 and 2000. He spent ten years as a member of Prime Minister Jean Chrétien’s Cabinet, holding various senior portfolios: Minister of Justice and Attorney General (1993-1997); Minister of Health (1997-2002) and Minister of Industry and Minister of Infrastructure (2002-2003).

He left Parliament in 2003 upon his appointment as Canadian Ambassador to the United Nations in New York, where he was deeply involved in humanitarian, peace-building and development efforts, particularly in Africa, Haiti and Sri Lanka.

As President of the University of Ottawa since 2008, he has led one of Canada’s largest and most research intensive universities. Its new and ambitious strategic plan is focused on achieving even greater research intensity, as well as enhancing the quality of each student’s experience. The plan includes a continued commitment to la Francophonie (uOttawa is the world’s largest bilingual university), a greater role internationally, and increased community and global engagement by students, faculty and employees.

In June, 2012, the University of Ottawa’s Board of Governors extended Allan Rock’s mandate as President until June 30, 2016.