- from a Master of Public Service release

On Thursday, February 16, students and faculty in the University of Waterloo’s Master of Public Service (MPS) program were delighted to share an intimate dinner at the University Club with the Honourable Glen Murray, Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities and Member of Provincial Parliament for the riding of Toronto Centre.

Minister Murray was the guest of honour at the event, which was organized by the Master of Public Service Association (MPSA), the executive body representing students in the program. Other special guests included UWaterloo President Feridun Hamdullahpur and the Honourable Navdeep Bains, Member of Parliament for Mississauga-Brampton South from 2004 to 2011 and Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister in 2005, who currently teaches public policy development in the MPS program.

The dinner marked the culmination of months of planning by the MPSA Officers, who worked diligently to organize the event while juggling their demanding course load and applying and interviewing for co-op jobs to begin in May. “The evening featured an outstanding speaker, a wonderful ambiance and delightful company,” says Amisha Patel, MPSA Director of Finance. “It drew positive attention to the Master of Public Service program and the University of Waterloo.”

After dinner, Minister Murray gave a thought-provoking and heartfelt address, noting the challenges associated with developing public policy in “the age of acceleration”, where problems are complex and multifaceted and underlying conditions change rapidly. He encouraged the students to embrace a spirit of collaboration in their work and to seek creative and innovative ideas to address the pressing issues of the 21^st century, such as climate change, water security and shifting demographics.  

For many students, the event was a celebration of their success in securing co-op employment for the Spring term, after a rigourous and competitive process. For instance, MPSA President Keith Chau is excited to take up an appointment as an Economic Research Analyst with the Department of Canadian Heritage in Ottawa. “The 1st Annual MPSA Dinner marks the beginning of our new journeys, as we near the end of our coursework component and venture into different avenues of the public sector,” he said.    

Professor Daniel Henstra, MPS Program Director and a faculty member in the Department of Political Science, was very pleased with the event. “The students did a fantastic job in organizing this special dinner, and we were most fortunate to have Minister Murray join us,” said Henstra. “I am pleased that he had an opportunity to meet these talented future public service recruits.”