University of Toronto

Overview

The University of Toronto is a public research university located in Ontario, Canada. It is one of the Canadian universities belonging to the Association of American Universities, a prestigious organization of research institutions devoted to conserving a strong system of education and academic research.

The university has three main campuses, namely University of Toronto Mississauga, University of Toronto Scarborough, and St. George Campus. Dedicated to fostering an academic community where learning and innovation flourish, the university remains to be one of the world’s top research-intensive universities.

The University of Toronto has a longstanding reputation for research and innovation and is known for its world-class academic performance. It offers a wide range of undergraduate and graduate programs across its three campuses located in the Greater Toronto Area. From medicine and architecture to music and urban studies, the university provides a variety of academic options that suit the unique interests of each student.

Founded in 1827, the university was originally established as a decentralized institution. In its early years, the governing authority of the university was shared among its academic colleges, faculties, and central administration. Unlike most North American institutions, the university is a collegiate university, comprising eleven colleges, each with substantial autonomy on financial and institutional affairs.

In addition, the university serves as the birthplace of Toronto School, an influential school of thought on literary criticism and communication. It is also home to notable scientific research and breakthroughs, such as the identification of the first blackhole Cynus X-1, the development of the NP-completeness theory, multi-touch technology, as well as the first insulin and stem cell research.

Some of the university’s greatest breakthroughs include the launch of the first practical electron microscope built by its physics department in 1938, the development of the infrared chemiluminescence technique for analyzing energy behaviors in chemical reactions, as well as the invention of the G-suit, a life-saving flight suit worn by astronauts and aviators. Today, the university serves as the primary research presence supporting one of the world's largest concentrations of biotechnology firms.

As a globally renowned research institution, the university receives the highest annual scientific research funding among all Canadian universities. It is heavily funded by the federal government, with grants from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, and Canadian Institutes of Health Research.