The campus community is invited to attend a moderated discussion led by Navdeep Bains (MBA 2001), Canadian Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development and a UWindsor alumnus, on the topics of the diversity component of corporate board membership of Bill C-25, and the national intellectual policy.

The event will take the form of a fireside chat on Wednesday, January 17, beginning at 11:45 a.m. in Freed Orman Commons, Assumption Hall. Minister Bains will be joined by UWindsor president Alan Wildeman; Myra Tawfik, EPICentre Professor of IP Commercialization and Strategy; and Shanthi Senthe, assistant professor in the Faculty of Law.

Bains, Member of Parliament for the riding of Mississauga-Malton, has made fostering economic growth through innovation a high priority for the Government of Canada. He has led the development of its Innovation and Skills Plan — the centrepiece of the 2017 federal budget. Bains has also spearheaded negotiations among the provinces and territories that led to the Canadian Free Trade Agreement.

As an advocate for diversity and inclusion, Bains has introduced a bill in Parliament that promotes the advancement of women, cultural minorities, and other under-represented groups to the highest levels of leadership in corporate Canada.