Skip to main content
A Publication of UBC
  •  
  •  

Media

  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Videos
  • Webcasts

Sections

Arts
Athletics
Business
Campus
Careers
Community
Environment
Give UBC
Health
Humanities
Life
Science
Technology

Departments

afterwords
Changemakers
Class Acts
Collective Wisdom
In Memoriam
My Town
Opinion
President’s Highlights
Readers Write
Rewind
Short Fiction
The Big Picture
The Last Word
Spotlight
The Future of Democracy

Political observers have noted an ongoing global decline in democracy over the past two decades. And now, the world’s most powerful nation is led by a president who is openly challenging the democratic ideals on which it was built. What are the roots of this backsliding, and how can democracy be strengthened for the 21st century?

Photo of people protesting and holding up signs. One sign says: "Accountability."
Democracy: Down, but not out

Despite the backsliding, public support for democracy remains strong.

Spotlight Archive
Arts
Indigenous woman dressed in orange stands behind small orange flags
UBC Okanagan’s Tania Willard wins Canada’s top prize for visual art
UBCO's gallery director has won the 2025 Sobey Art Award.
Athletics
UBC students paddling in canoe for Day of the Longboat
Test your knowledge of UBC athletics
Put your brains (but not your brawn) to the test!
Business
Headshot of President and COO of MobSquad Arif Khimani with a navy and purple coloured background.
How to succeed in a work-from-anywhere world
A UBC alum and expert explores the pros and cons of remote, hybrid, and in-office work.
Campus
Asian man stands in garden in front of stone ornament
Nitobe Memorial Garden: A garden that bridges worlds
Curator Ryo Sugiyama tends a living bridge between Japan and Canada.
Careers
Two students in an academic setting photographed through the frame of a window, appearing to be in active discussion.
Cultivate mindsets for mentorship
Discover how to build trust, foster growth in others, and strengthen your leadership abilities.
Community
Recipients of the 2025 alumni UBC Achievement Awards
2025 alumni UBC Achievement Awards Recipients

On November 6, 2025, we honoured nine inspiring members of the UBC community.

Environment
Modern outhouse with ramp in forest
UBC launches world’s first mushroom-powered waterless toilet
This prototype turns human waste into nutrient-rich compost—and doesn’t need plumbing.
Give UBC
Portrait of Angeli Li outdoors
Easing the burden on loved ones
Angela Li is part of the equation for UBC women in math.
Health
A robotic exoskeleton, used to aid with mobility.
Home, smart home

The novel devices helping older adults to age in place.

Humanities
Four men and one woman sit and stand on stage
Is modern masculinity facing a crisis—or undergoing an evolution?
Four experts explored whether masculinity is collapsing or adapting in our changing world.
Life
Illustration of two young people watching their older selves.
The last “acceptable” prejudice

Ageism is getting old. It’s time to ditch the stereotypes.

Science
Profile of coyote
RIP Kip: What cherished campus coyote’s death tells us about his life
The coyote with one bad leg became an unofficial mascot on UBC’s Vancouver campus. 
Technology
Smoke billowing from a wildfire with water in the foreground and mountains in the background
Using technology to get ahead of wildfires
UBCO researchers are using predictive tools to help communities respond quicker to wildfires.
afterwords

alumni UBC’s afterwords is a digital conversation series that shares the stories of some of UBC Okanagan’s extraordinary alumni.

Upper-body shot of Allisha Heidt standing by the front counter in her store
Allisha Heidt
Meet a UBCO alum and entrepreneur whose business is helping to save the planet.
Changemakers

UBC grads defining the future

April Houweling.
Symphony of the sea

A marine biologist invites us to listen to the underwater world of Howe Sound.

Class Acts

News from your old classmates

Collective Wisdom

One pressing question. Multiple expert perspectives.

Headshots of the six experts, with a white capital letter Q juxtaposed on top
How should democracies adapt for the 21st century?

One pressing question, multiple expert perspectives.

In Memoriam

Lives and legacies

My Town

Insider travel tips from alumni around the world

Hannah Edwards at Tokyo Station at night, with skyscrapers in backdrop
Tokyo, Japan
UBC alum Hannah Edward shares insider tips for exploring Japan’s vibrant and bustling capital.
Opinion
Supporters of Vice President Kamala Harris during her concession speech for the 2024 presidential election, with American flags in the background
Hope in precarious times
As democracy in America faces its greatest test, this is the hope that I’m holding on to.
President’s Highlights

Dr. Benoit-Antoine Bacon reflects on the people and places shaping UBC

Rick Hansen at a tour of the Blusson Spinal Cord Centre.
How UBC researchers are changing what it means to age well

Dr. Benoit-Antoine Bacon reflects on the people and places shaping UBC.

Readers Write

Stories, advice, and snapshots of life from UBC Magazine readers.

UBC Concerts
Why these 17 concerts on campus will stay with alumni forever
Readers share their most memorable and magical (and sometimes rainy) concert memories.
Rewind

A glance into UBC’s past

Darren Peets and the "Hydrant."
Beer and Politics

The drunken “radicals” who shook up UBC elections.

Short Fiction

Winning entries from our annual writing contest for UBC alumni 

An illustration of students in a classroom practicing calligraphy, while outside the window other people march beside red flags
2025 Winner: Magnificence
Winner of the 2025 alumni UBC Short Fiction Contest.
The Big Picture

More show, less tell

Photo of Robby the robot.
Robby the robot
The newest member of UBC’s Athletics & Recreation team is a line-painting robot.
The Last Word

Q&As featuring well-known individuals with a UBC connection

Kim Campbell.
Kim Campbell

“Seek wisdom, conquer fear, do justice.”

Site Map

  • About
  • Advertise
  • Contact
  • Past Print Issues
  • SPOTLIGHT Archive
  • Submissions

Follow Us

  •  
  •  

© 2025

Footer bottom

  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Conditions
A Publication of UBC University of British Colombia