The vision for Queen’s in 2041 | Queen's Bicentennial Vision

By 2041, Queen’s will be a leading research-intensive university where excellence and values are inseparable. The Bicentennial Vision defines a future shaped by deep connection, focused impact, and a shared commitment to advancing knowledge, shaping leaders, and serving society.

By our bicentennial year, Queen’s will stand among the world’s most distinctive universities as:

A thriving community where connections enable excellence
An environment that shapes leaders
A culture based on social responsibility
A research leader distinguished by focus and excellence
A partner committed to reciprocal, meaningful collaboration
A global network defined by creativity, integrity, and impact

This future reflects deliberate choices about where Queen’s can lead, how we work together, and the responsibilities we embrace as a public institution.

Guiding commitments

A vision is only as strong as the principles and people that unite it. Our Bicentennial Vision is grounded in four guiding commitments that shape how we pursue excellence, makes decisions, and works as one institution.

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Strengthen our community

We will build powerful, lifelong connections through the student experience, mentorship, interdisciplinary partnerships, and global networks that support leadership, creativity, and impact.

Values-based excellence

We will uphold Queen’s legacy of high standards while broadening excellence to reflect our values, recognizing that diverse voices, experiences, and ways of knowing deepen discovery and intellectual rigour.

[researchers working with other team members watching]

Integrate research, teaching, and student experience

We will fully integrate research, teaching, and the student experience so discovery shapes learning, mentorship connects people and ideas, and graduates are prepared to lead with knowledge, creativity, and purpose in a changing world.

Focus on strengths

We will focus our research and teaching in areas where Queen’s can lead globally, bringing scholars, students, and partners together across disciplines to advance knowledge, collaboration, and impact on complex challenges.

Institutional enablers

Our guiding commitments describe what Queen’s stands for. Our institutional enablers describe how we work together to deliver on them. They align systems, structures, and ways of working so the university can act with clarity, coherence, and purpose.

Act in alignment

We will align systems and practices that support coherent planning, evidence-informed decision-making, and shared responsibility across the university.

Collaborate to lead change

We will foster collaboration, shared purpose, and coordinated action to build the conditions for agility, innovation, and continuous improvement across the university.

Together, the commitments and enablers form the foundation for our Bicentennial Vision and shared priorities.

Read the full Bicentennial Vision

Bicentennial Vision (PDF 1.5 MB)