Professor David Turpin, president and vice chancellor of the University of Alberta, Canada

Listening to the voices of global university presidents is important to understand higher education. In this interview, Professor David Turpin, president and vice chancellor of the University of Alberta, discusses personal experiences, leadership insights and arrangements, the institution, and future challenges and opportunities shaping higher education. President Turpin discusses strategic direction-setting, communicating with stakeholders within and outside the university, keeping close contact with students and meeting regularly to understand their ideas and concerns, and building trusted and cooperative research arrangements to tackle big problems.