Deep Saini biography
Universities Canada board director
Deep Saini began his term as Dalhousie University’s 12th president in January 2020, bringing a compelling blend of national and international postsecondary experience.
Dr. Saini is a director on the board of Universities Canada.
A career academic and accomplished researcher in plant biology, Dr. Saini most recently served as vice-chancellor and president of the University of Canberra in Australia from 2016-2019. He grew up in India and has a PhD of Philosophy in Plant Physiology from the University of Adelaide in Australia. He has worked at four of Canada’s U15 universities, including as vice-president of the University of Toronto and principal of its Mississauga campus, dean of the Faculty of Environment at the University of Waterloo and director general of the Plant Biology Research Institute at the Université de Montréal.
His awards and recognitions include honours from the Canadian Society of Plant Physiologists, Nanjing University, the Sikh Foundation of Canada, the Royal Society of New South Wales, the Punjab Academy of Sciences and the Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce. He was featured in India Abroad’s “2011 Power List” and is the recipient of a Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal.
His leadership roles have included governance and advisory roles at national and international levels, presidencies of national professional societies, journal editorships, membership on national and international granting panels, fundraising workshops for university leaders and international trade missions.
He is fluent in English, French, Hindi and Punjabi.
