Inside Higher Ed: McGill chancellor called racist
* McGill University’s chancellor, Richard W. Pound, is facing widespread criticism and calls for his resignation after he was quoted as saying that Canada was a nation of “savages” 400 years ago, before European settlement. The comments came in an interview in which Pound, a longtime official in the international Olympic movement, was offering praise for Chinese civilization — in contrast with Canada’s history prior to the arrival of Europeans — in the context of discussing this year’s Olympic games. Numerous McGill figures as well as leaders of Indian groups in Canada have condemned the comment. At McGill as at other Canadian universities, the role of chancellor is not like that of an American president or chancellor, but more like that of an influential board member, with additional ceremonial duties. Still, the position is closely associated with the university. McGill issued a statement over the weekend stating that Pound’s comments “are his own and are not made on behalf of McGill,” The Montreal Gazette reported.
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