Richard Rooney gifts $5 million to the African Studies Centre and the Centre for Caribbean Studies at the University of Toronto

BY PAUL JUNOR

The announcement of a historic gift of $5 million to the African Studies Centre and the Centre for Caribbean Studies at the University of Toronto was made by Richard Rooney and will be matched by funds from the Faculty of Arts & Science to a total of $10 million. The establishment of an endowed professorship at each center as well as two prestigious postdoctoral fellowships will increase the: stature, prestige and scholarships of future African Studies and Caribbean Studies scholars.

The African Studies Centre (which is at U of T New College) is located near the intersection of Harbord Street and Spadina Avenue. It was established in 1978 and is described as one of the leading centers in North America. Students gain:

• Unique opportunities to study the complexity and dynamism of processes of socio-economic, cultural, environmental, and political transformation in Africa.
• Study the varied: histories, ideas, and institutions of Africa and its diaspora through interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary lenses at three different levels.

The Centre for Caribbean Studies Program was established in 1995 and is a unique one-of-a-kind institution that focuses on the study of the Caribbean and its people. It:

• Equips students to think about: broad, theoretical, and challenging intellectual issues to ground that expansive thinking in deep understanding of the particular: historical, political, economic, geographical, cultural, and linguistic realities of the Caribbean and its diaspora.
• Prepares students to think across disciplines about these kinds of questions and to base their: comparative, transnational, and interdisciplinary thinking in concrete knowledge of the Caribbean and its people.
• Equips students to: question the order of things, reflect on their own place in the world, and see past the Caribbean’s size, or current level of geopolitical influence to recognize the inherent value and intellectual significance of all places and all people.

Richard Rooney graduated from New College at the U of T in 1977 and is the vice-chair and co-founder of Burgundy Asset Management. He states, “The education I received at New College was a springboard for my success. It’s an honour for me to be able to give back to what was so pivotal in my life and to support academic programs that can help us imagine a more equitable and just society.”

Meric Gertler, President of U of T states, “We are deeply grateful to Richard Rooney for this visionary gift to the University of Toronto. This landmark will further advance U of T’s leadership in African Studies and Caribbean Studies. It is also so well aligned with our global outlook and our commitment to inclusive excellence. He has been a part of the New One-Learning Without program for first-year students, the New College’s Principal Innovation Fund and the establishment of a landscape plaza that was funded in partnership with the New College Student Council.”

Melanie Woodin, Dean of U of T’s Faculty of Arts & Sciences states, “Richard Rooney’s milestone gift will elevate the African Studies Centre, and the Centre for Caribbean Studies to new heights as sites of scholarly excellence and transdisciplinary dialogue. The research, teaching and collaboration happening at these two centers are indispensable for making sense of the 21st century providing learners with the tools they need to become engaged citizens, anchored by a rich understanding of the world today.”

David-Palmer, Vice-President Advancement of U of T’s states, “Donors like Richard Rooney make the University’s most ambitious visions a reality. His commitment demonstrates the passion that runs throughout our community of supporters who believe in the promise of inclusive excellence and make transformative contributions towards realizing it as a lived ideal.”