The University

Calgary is a large city located just 80km east of the beautiful Canadian Rockies in the heart of southern Alberta. With a population exceeding 1.2 million, Calgary is the largest city in the province of Alberta and the third largest municipality nationwide. Due to its abundance of natural resources and rapid economic development, Calgary is internationally recognized as a leader in both the petroleum and agricultural industry. Consistently ranked in the top three of Mercer Global Financial and HR Consulting's world's cleanest cities for the past five years and fifth best city to live in by the Economist Group, Calgary is currently the second fastest growing city in North America and the strongest economic force in Canada.

Located in the Northwest quadrant of the city and established in 1966, the University of Calgary is a public research university quickly becoming one of the top research institutes in Canada. Boasting 30,000 students enrolled across 14 faculties, 30 research institutions, and 140,000 alumni (including the Prime Minister of Canada Stephen Harper and renowned astronaut Robert Thirsk), the University of Calgary is regarded as a national leader in scientific research. In 2014, The Quacquarelli Symonds World University Rankings named the University of Calgary the best young university under 50 in Canada and the second best in North America. Research continues to be a top priority for the university as it aims to be one of the top five research universities in Canada by its 50th birthday in 2016.