Professor Emeritus Paul Young (CivMin) has been appointed to the post of International Secretary of the Royal Society of Canada (RSC). Akin to the position of Foreign Secretary in government, the prominent appointment places Young in a focal role at the RSC, with a mandate to support collaboration with other national academies to help address major global challenges.
“I am humbled to have been asked to take on this role,” said Young of the appointment. “It is an honour to serve the Royal Society of Canada in this capacity and continue promoting Canadian research nationally and internationally.”
Founded in 1882, the RSC elects leading scientists, researchers, scholars and artists into one of its three Academies: the Academy of the Arts and Humanities; the Academy of Social Sciences; and the Academy of Science. The organization, composed of 2,334 Fellows and 286 Members, advises governments and NGOs, and celebrates Canadian academic and artistic accomplishment.
Young launches into his three-year term amidst the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, with a focus on increased collaboration with cohort academies around the world. He will coordinate the RSC’s involvement in presentations and scientific statements at the upcoming G7, G20 and Commonwealth summits this year, as well as a G7 Research Summit on “The Future of Digital Health” with a consortium of international partners.
At the University of Toronto, Young has served in numerous leadership roles, including Vice-President, Research and Innovation, Chair of the Department of Civil Engineering, and Director of the Lassonde Institute for Mining. An engineering geophysicist, he has published over 250 scientific papers and pioneered techniques for monitoring and interpreting induced seismicity in the mining, petroleum and nuclear waste disposal industries.
“Professor Young’s contributions to building partnerships, advancing research and fostering innovation have elevated the Faculty and the University’s reputation on the national and international stage, placing us at the forefront of engineering education and research,” says U of T Engineering Dean Chris Yip. “On behalf of the Faculty, I am delighted to extend congratulations on this appointment to a critical role within the Royal Society of Canada.”
In addition to the RSC, Young is also a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering, Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and Fellow of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining and Senior Fellow Massey College.
