Season’s Greetings from President Peter Stoicheff

Dear USask students, faculty and staff,

The end of the year invites us to reflect with pride on the achievements of our University of Saskatchewan community. 2025 has been a year of bold innovation, meaningful collaboration, and historic milestones that will define the university for years to come.

Together, we’ve made great strides toward our shared aspiration to be the university the world needs. Our Be What the World Needs campaign made Saskatchewan history as the largest campaign ever held in the province, raising a total of close to $571 million and far surpassing our initial fundraising goal of $500 million. The momentum from the campaign continues to inspire generosity, including during our annual Giving Day event in September when we raised $284,821. The campaign is already transforming this university for current and future generations, and we thank you for helping us achieve our goal.

Having recently concluded my three-year term as chair of the U15 Group of Canadian Research Universities, it is rewarding to watch USask’s steady climb in international rankings and growth in research funding, including ranking among the best universities in the world in sustainable development and as the top institution in Canada for water research. Our research continues to demonstrate its global impact, exemplified by the recognition of four USask researchers by the Royal Society of Canada. Our commitment to excellence is also reflected in the accomplishments of our students. In the 2024-25 season, Huskie student-athletes left their mark across the country, with four team sports and three individual sports earning spots in the U SPORTS national championships and the women’s basketball team bringing home a third national title in 10 years. Last month, our Huskies football team played in the national final – the Vanier Cup. We have also proudly celebrated six Rhodes Scholars awarded in the past four years. With only eleven scholarships awarded annually across Canada, this achievement marks a milestone that highlights the global recognition of USask’s academic excellence.

In this, my final holiday message to you, I want to say what a privilege it has been to serve as president of this university for the past decade. I am deeply grateful to all who contribute to the USask community. Whether you’re studying, teaching, researching or supporting our campus operations, you are helping shape a future we can all be proud of.

I extend my warmest wishes to you this holiday season and wish you a happy and healthy new year.

Sincerely,
Peter Stoicheff
President and Vice-Chancellor