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GTA’s New Engineering
School Opens To Students
community
Saturday, September 28, 2013 | A-15
Prem Watsa, The Man Who
May Save Blackberry
Toronto: The GTA’s first new engineering school in the last 40 years
Washington: Hyderabad-born done a deal of this size, nor the Indian Institute of Technollaunched in style this month with a flagship event in downtown ToIITian Prem Watsa, who has executed a trade in which his ogy in 1971.
He joined Blackronto.
come to the rescue of flounder- company will likely be forced Berry's board in early 2012
Lassonde School of Engineering at York University will specialing mobile company BlackBer- to take such a large operational when Fairfax moved to become
ize in teaching engineering with law, business and entrepreneurship.
ry, has been variously described role," the Verge said.
Noting the Waterloo firm's biggest
“The Lassonde School of Engineering will change the way enas "Canada's Warren Buffett", that BlackBerry lost nearly $1 shareholder, joining the board
gineering students are educated. We’re offering something very difand "billionaire king of lost billion in just the last quarter, to help implement a turnaround
ferent for students in the GTA applying to university this year – an
causes".
Watsa, 61, chairman it said: "To stem the bleeding, plan. He resigned in mid-Auopportunity to study engineering with law and business. That’s three
and chief executive of Toronto- Watsa will have to take drastic gust as Fairfax was circling in
professional disciplines in one undergraduate degree.” said Profesbased Fairfax Financial, which measures, potentially selling off with a bid to take BlackBerry
sor Janusz Kozinski, Founding
Watsa's early career
has made the $4.7-billion deal large parts of the company and private.
Dean of the Lassonde School of
to buy BlackBerry, "has ac- shuttering its consumer phone saw him begin work at ConfedEngineering.
quired a sort of legendary sta- business entirely."
Watsa's "in- eration Life Insurance Co. in
“Students at the Lastus", according The Verge, a vestment acumen in Canada is Toronto, serving as vice-presisonde School of Engineering
reputed technology site.
"It be- nearly unrivalled", said Cana- dent of Confederation Life Inwill graduate with the skills
gan with the rags-to-riches tale da's Global News noting that vestment Counsel from 1974 to
they need to work for the
of a young student who turned "he's earned the title 'Canada's 1983.
He moved to vice-presiworld’s top companies like
his back on chemical engineer- Warren Buffet' by making prof- dent of GW Asset Management
Google, Facebook and Boming school, eventually becom- its from bets on companies and and co-founded Hamblin Watsa
bardier, and learn what it takes to start their own businesses with our
ing one of Canada's wealthi- market trends that looked ill- Investment Counsel Ltd. in
entrepreneurship training.”
est investors," it said, hailing advised at the time, but later 1984, which is now fully owned
To mark the launch, the first ever Lassonde Symposium was orgahim as "billionaire king of lost turned out to be shrewd deci- by Fairfax.
Fairfax was born
nized by the Lassonde School of Engineering and its founding donor,
causes".
"But while Watsa has a sions".
Hyderabad-born Watsa in 1987 after Watsa took over
gold mining entrepreneur Pierre Lassonde.
history of investing when things completed his bachelor's degree Markel Financial Holdings Ltd.
The Symposium featured a debate on the provocative motion “EnGreen&Spiegel:Layoutlook
1 10-07-15
PM never
Page 1before in chemical engineering from and renamed it.
bleak, 9:06
he has
trepreneurs should give university a miss.” moderated by Katty Kay,
lead anchor of BBC World America, who flew in
from New York for this special occasion.
Arguing “for” the motion was Yemen-born
Canadian entrepreneur Zahra Al-Harazi, journalist Rick Spence and successful entrepreneur
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Our staff
entrepreneurs should still go to university rather
speaks
Punjabi,
than drop out to start a business. “It was a rip-roareg. Failed Marriage Sponsorship
Hindi and Urdu
ing debate! The audience agreed that professional
Mendel Green Q.C.
Ravi Jain
schools like the Lassonde School of Engineering
B.A. (Hons.), LL.B., LL.M.
Barrister & Solicitor
should teach students entrepreneurship and young
Barrister & Solicitor
to Canada and US
e-mail: [email protected]
people will be in the best position to start a busie-mail: [email protected]
ness with a professional degree behind them.
There were lots of great arguments on both
sides and most importantly it was tremendous
start to our new School with such an impressive
array of speakers from around the world joining
us on our opening night,” added Professor Kozinski.
390 Bay Street, Suite 2800, Toronto, ON M5H 2Y2
The Lassonde School of Engineering is acTel: (416) 862-7880 • Fax: (416) 862-1698
cepting applications now for Fall 2014. You can
Toll Free from Canada & U.S 1-866-844-9344
read more about the School on its website: lasPlease email evenings and weekends at [email protected] or call 416-862-7880 Ext 2292 and Ravi will contact you.
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