The University of Lethbridge welcomed its new presidents for his first day on the job. Dr. Digvir Jayas stepped into the role on July 4 and hosted a welcome walk for faculty and community members.
“I certainly am excited to be at the University of Lethbridge, there are a lot of opportunities at the university to take the university forward and build the relationship with the community,” the new president said. “I want to consult with the community both internal and external before I can say what the priorities are because they not only have to my priorities, they have to be the community’s priorities and we need to work as a team to then accomplish those.”
Jayas comes to the university after being vice president of research and international at the University of Manitoba. He has a background in agriculture and research, which started in his hometown in India. After graduating high school, he moved to Canada and received his masters degree in Manitoba, before getting his PHD in Saskatchewan. He then went to work at the University of Manitoba.
Jayas said he is looking forward to meeting the community both inside and outside the university when the fall semester starts. “Universities are the students — everybody else is there to support them to transform their lives, to provide them the education,” he said.
This week, it was announced Jayas won the 2023 Lieutenant Governor’s Award for Excellence in Public Administration in Manitoba for his previous role.