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By Alice McFarlane

Be What the World Needs Campaign

Nutrien supports USask campaign

Feb 4, 2025 | 12:09 PM

Nutrien is joining forces with the the University of Saskatchewan (USask) on a campaign to have a lasting impact on the future of global agricultural sustainability.

Nutrien is providing $15 million donation to USask towards the Be What the World Needs Campaign that will help train the scientists and engineers of the future who will ensure growth and success in the agriculture and mining sector and beyond.

The donation from Nutrien is the single largest gift to date in the university’s campaign.

USask President Peter Stoicheff said they are grateful for the donation which builds on a long-standing relationship with Nutrien over the past five decades.

“Nutrien is our valued partner and the largest corporate donor in USask’s history, having generously invested more than $50 million over the years to support the university’s research mission and to help prepare our students to become the next generation of leaders,” Stoicheff said.

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A large portion of the gift will establish the Nutrien Centre for Sustainable and Digital Agriculture, housed in the College of Agriculture and Bioresources. The Nutrien Centre will focus on research, training and innovative technologies that accelerate farming into the digital age and create more sustainable and resilient food systems around the world. Within the centre, this gift will provide funding for a research chair position, facility modernization, as well as startup support for research and outreach activities.

Nutrien’s donation will also establish the Nutrien Future Fund for the college, provide scholarships for AgBio students, and fund Indigenous and community engagement initiatives, like the kihci-okâwîmâw askiy (Great Mother Earth) Knowledge Centre. In addition, Nutrien’s gift will support scholarships for engineering students and the creation of a state-of-the-art lecture theatre in the College of Engineering.

Nutrien President and CEO Ken Seitz said he was pleased the decades-long partnership with USask is continuing.

“This investment supports research, education, and innovation that aims to tackle some of the world’s most pressing challenges,” Seitz said. “Together, we strive to strengthen global food security and contribute to building resilient agricultural communities both locally and globally.”

USask is raising $500 million for the Be What the World Needs Campaign which sits at just over 90 per cent raised with about five months left to go.

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alice.mcfarlane@pattisonmedia.com

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