大象传媒

Frequently being called 鈥楧octor Petter鈥� posed a dilemma for 大象传媒 president emeritus Andrew Petter.

Petter, whose Master of Laws degree from Cambridge is a tertiary teaching degree, says people began referring to him as 鈥楧octor Petter鈥� when he was named 大象传媒 president and vice-chancellor in 2010.

鈥淎t first, I corrected them,鈥� he said during a recent interview from his home in Victoria. 鈥淏ut after a while I thought, I can鈥檛 keep doing this 鈥� so I let them call me doctor. But it felt awkward, because I wasn鈥檛.鈥�

All that changes next week when Petter will receive an honorary Doctor of Laws from 大象传媒 for a lifetime of contributions to the province in academia, law and politics, as well as his transformative impact on post-secondary education in B.C. and beyond.

大象传媒鈥檚 honorary degree is the highest honour conferred by the university. Degrees are awarded to distinguished individuals in recognition of their scholarly, scientific, or artistic achievement, or in recognition of their contribution to the public good.

鈥淣ow, 12 years later, I don鈥檛 have to worry,鈥� says Petter, tongue firmly in cheek. 鈥淲hen I鈥檓 at 大象传媒, people can call me doctor and I won鈥檛 have to correct them or worry that they got it wrong.鈥�

All kidding aside, Petter says that the honorary degree means a great deal to him and that he expects it to be an emotional day.

鈥淚 could never have been president of any other university,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 wouldn鈥檛 have wanted to. There鈥檚 something unique about 大象传媒 that drew me and inspired me. And it makes this honour all the more meaningful.鈥�

In what passes for retirement, Petter says he鈥檚 entered a stage of exploration to test where he can make the most positive contributions. It鈥檚 no surprise that many of the themes he explored as president of 大象传媒 continue to be a focus for him.

Among his many roles, he is a regular speaker at national and international education conferences, and serves as a trustee with the , which was established by the Aga Khan to promote social and economic development in Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Tajikistan.

Petter, a former B.C. attorney general and dean of law at the University of Victoria, has also joined well-known law firm as associate counsel. The firm focuses on constitutional and public law with respect to matters such as Indigenous issues and human rights.

In addition, Petter chairs , a Crown agency that promotes innovation in the province. And he serves as the 大象传媒 representative on Zone Start-ups India, a business accelerator affiliated with the Bombay Stock Exchange Institute (the educational arm of the Bombay Stock Exchange).

鈥淚鈥檓 enjoying the luxury of making contributions in various places and diverse areas. For me, the key is finding ways to make a positive difference. It always has been, and it sure beats watching soaps.鈥�