Questions are being asked after it was revealed the former president and chancellor of UBC spent $175,000 in travel last year.
Stephen Toope left the position last month and is now director of the university’s Munk School of Global Affairs.
The university says although it may seem like an astronomical figure to most taxpayers, there’s a good reason for Toope’s big travel itinerary, which included 11 trips last year.
UBC says the travel was to boost the university’s profile on the international stage.
“We’re a globally significant university and our international resource corporations are absolutely critical for our reputation and this is one of the key aspects of the travel that the president takes,” says Pascal Spothelfer, UBC Vice-President of Communications and Community Partnership.
“The second being the donations. We have a $1.5 billion campaign underway. We raised over $200 million last year for which $33 million were raised internationally. So it’s very important for our president to travel.”
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