Mohamed Lachemi has never been content with the status quo - and TMU is a different university because of it. In a wide-ranging conversation, the president reflects on a decade defined by transformation: new schools, a new name and a deepened commitment to the communities the university serves.
What has been the most rewarding aspect of being in the presidential role?
Students put a great deal of trust in us and come to the university to start a journey that will define their future. To be part of that journey, to help position students to make contributions to society, is the most rewarding part of serving the university community.
You came to TMU as an engineering professor in 1998, and served in increasingly senior positions until reaching the presidency. What motivates you to be a leader?
As a child, I was curious about everything, and I think curiosity is key to leadership. It's why I became an engineer, and an inquiring mindset suits leadership very well - asking yourself why things are the way they are, and how they can be better.
I never dreamt of being president. When I joined the university 28 years ago, it had a lot of challenges. There was almost no research infrastructure and no graduate students. But the opportunity to be part of building a new, comprehensive university from the ground up fit with my love of a challenge.
What challenges did you encounter that you didn't anticipate when you began?
Nothing can prepare you for the scale and depth of this job. I could not have imagined, for example, how geopolitics and global events would play such a role in my leadership. The pandemic, our name change, the anti-racism movement after the murder of George Floyd, the crises in the Middle East. It is impossible to predict the specific nature of these kinds of events - but a president has to be prepared to deal with them and not let them be paralyzing.
In fact, crises often bring opportunities, and you have to be prepared to seize those opportunities. Medical school would not have been possible without the pandemic, which laid bare the weaknesses in our healthcare system. The time was right to try a new approach to medical education and practice, and we moved quickly to meet that need.
Your presidency has been marked by transformational growth and change at the university. Taking risks requires a high degree of self-assurance... where does yours come from?
My parents, especially my mother, encouraged me to work hard, learn from experiences and never give up. That helped me develop confidence in my ability to deal with anything. All my life I have faced obstacles and, when you learn to overcome obstacles, your confidence increases with time.
I find motivation in not accepting the status quo. When I am told that something can't be done, I need to hear a good reason for that; otherwise, I'm going to try and do it. If I had accepted the status quo from an early age, I would not be where I am today.
After nearly three decades, Lachemi’s pride in the
university he helped build is written all over his face. Photo: Jennifer Roberts
