Concordia to award 3 honorary doctorates at its fall 2024 convocation

Montreal, September 4, 2024 - Next month, Concordia University will be honouring the accomplishments of three people who have, respectively, left their mark on Canadian human right and Indigenous law, biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries, and technology and supply management industries.

These individuals will be awarded honorary doctorates during Concordia's fall convocation ceremonies taking place Tuesday, October 15, in Place des Arts' Salle Wilfrid Pelletier. Graduates of the four faculties as well as the School of Graduate Studies will hear from these remarkable leaders as they receive their diplomas.

Concordia's fall convocation: the honorands

Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw

For her visionary leadership in biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries

Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw is a first-generation entrepreneur, pioneer of the biotechnology industry in India and the founder of the country's leading biotechnology enterprise, Biocon. Named among Time magazine's 100 most influential people in the world, Mazumdar-Shaw is a global thought leader committed to innovation and delivering best-in-class, affordable therapeutics to patients around the world.

Mazumdar-Shaw's philanthropic initiatives are directed at making a difference to the lives of people in marginalized communities. Through Biocon Foundation's primary healthcare centres, telemedicine initiatives, health awareness programs, public health and preventive screenings for oral and cervical cancer, she is making an enduring impact on society.

Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw will address the John Molson School of Business ceremony at 10 a.m.

John Sicard

For innovative leadership in technology and supply chain management industries

John Sicard, BCompSc '88, is the president and chief executive officer of Kinaxis, a global leader in modern end-to-end supply chain management. His near 30-year tenure began with early contributions to the core architecture and development of Kinaxis' proprietary software. A passionate technologist and vocal advocate of "supply chain for good", Sicard leads 2,000 employees in more than 25 countries on a mission to improve the world's most complex supply chains for the benefit of people and the planet.

Sicard also supports greater neurodiversity in staffing as a pathway to innovation. The Kinaxis Autism at Work program aims for one out of every 100 Kinaxis employees to be on the autism spectrum, and today, Kinaxis has reached closer to two percent.

A graduate of Concordia and the Harvard Business School's Advanced Management Program, Sicard has led Kinaxis to participate in the United Nations Global Compact as an expression of the company's commitment to a sustainable future.

John Sicard will address the Gina Cody School of Engineering and Computer Science ceremony at 3 p.m.

Douglas Sanderson

For his expertise and leadership in Indigenous and Aboriginal law

Douglas Sanderson (Amo Binashii) is Beaver Clan from the Opaskwayak Cree Nation. He was managing editor of the inaugural edition of the Indigenous Law Journal in 2002 while a student at the University of Toronto's JD program. Sanderson went on to earn his LL. from Columbia University as a Fulbright Scholar. From 2004 to 2007, he was senior advisor to the Government of Ontario, first in the Office of the Minister Responsible for Aboriginal Affairs (now the Ministry of Indigenous Affairs and First Nations Economic Reconciliation), and later to the Attorney General.

Sanderson holds the Pritchard-Wilson Chair in Law and Public Policy and serves as the decanal advisor on Indigenous issues at the University of Toronto, where he has been teaching since 2009.

Sanderson's long history of involvement in human rights, and in particular, significant reforms to Ontario's human rights system (Human Rights Code Amendment Act, 2007) were recognized in 2021 when he was honoured with the Ludwik and Estelle Jus Memorial Human Rights Prize. In 2022, Sanderson received the University of Toronto's President's Impact Award, which recognizes substantial contributions beyond the academy and within popular culture.

Douglas Sanderson will address the Faculty of Arts and Science ceremony at 8 p.m.

For more information, visit Concordia's Graduation and Convocation website.