IMI’s Director of Master of Science in Sustainability Management at UTM wins international life sciences award

British-based Global Health & Pharma (GHP) Magazine announced earlier this month that it has awarded Shashi Kant, Professor of Forest Resource Economics and Management in the Faculty of Forestry, its 2016 International Life Sciences Award.

The GHP judging panel commented: “The University of Toronto is one of the leading institutions for forestry education and research, and Mr. Kant’s work has been an integral part behind their success.”

“We looked across the number of works Shashi Kant has published this year and believe that he is a leading authority in the field of forestry, particularly in his work in sustainable forest management and challenging the traditional models of forestry economics.”

Over the years, Professor Kant’s research has been recognized and supported by the Government of Canada and various other government bodies, a country where forestry is of particular importance for its own sustainability.

In June, the Institute for Management & Innovation recently awarded Professor Kant and his two colleagues – Rose Mary Craig and Claire Westgate with the IMI Team Collaboration Award for the launch of the Master of Science in Sustainability (MScSM) program at the University of Toronto Mississauga.

“In the past, some people believed that the conservation of nature and human development were goals that competed against each other,” said Professor Kant. “I believe that human beings and natural economies are interdependent.”

It is visionaries such as Professor Kant who recognize that sustainable economic growth is intimately linked to a healthy environment.