Since its early days in the late 1870s, Western University has aimed at giving each of its students “The Western Experience”. Its 12 faculties and three affiliated university colleges offer its more than 36,000 students a choice of 400 study programmes. It was previously known as the University of Western Ontario, but went through a rebranding process in 2012, becoming commonly known as Western University.
Western is ranked as one of Canada’s leading research-intensive universities, with annual funding in excess of $240 million, and has a history of excellence in fundamental and applied discovery. It was within its walls in 1920 that Sir Frederick Banting, teaching at Western at the time, rose from an agitated night’s sleep and wrote the initial words that led to insulin’s discovery. He won the 1923 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine as a result of his work, and at 32 remains the youngest ever winner of that category. Its faculty has been awarded numerous accolades including several Orders of Canada, one of the nation’s highest civilian honours. Michael Ondaatje, the Booker Prize winning author, also used to teach at the university.
It has also been the educator for many noteworthy people in its history, including Nobel Laureate Alice Munro and Stephen Poloz, the governor of the Bank of Canada.
Considered one of the country’s most beautiful universities, Western’s campus spans 400 acres of mixed architecture from Gothic-style buildings to modern, sustainable structures.
Its location in London, Canada's eleventh largest city, offers students an escape to a thriving cultural hub of shopping, theatre, dancing, cinema, and sports. Its 200 parks provide a natural backdrop, and it is affectionately known as the Forest City. Western’s teaching, research and service missions encompass a wide range of activities which are a crucial part of the London community.
Western University ranks as one of Canada’s top research universities. From fundamental to applied knowledge, Western discoveries benefit economic, social, health and cultural development in Canada and around the world.
The university attracts students with broad worldviews seeking to study, engage, and lead in international communities. Students from 117 countries share in classroom experiences and engage in study-abroad, research and volunteer opportunities to broaden perspectives and knowledge. Western students balance academic achievement with opportunities for athletic, volunteer and social engagement, which foster a strong community that extends to more than 277,000 alumni worldwide.
Western teaches a full complement of disciplines with 3 subjects placing in the top 50 globally. With annual research funding of $235 million, Western researchers work to inform policy and share knowledge on the world stage. More than 60% of research publications involve international collaborations.
Western is home to world-renowned research centres such as the Rotman Institute of Philosophy, the Wind Engineering, Energy and Environment Research Institute, the Brain and Mind Institute, Robarts Research Institute, the Fraunhofer Project Centre for Composites Research, and the Bone and Joint Institute.
