The KW Nasser Centre is a 17,000 square foot learning facility located off the university campus in the midst of downtown. This will allow for exclusive attention to our students currently in the workforce. The centre expands over two floors and houses six case rooms, two classrooms, a board room, and a student lounge.

The K.W. Nasser Centre is located in the heart of the business community, in close proximity to multiple food outlets, shopping centre’s, movie theatres, lounges, the bus station, the riverbank, parks, and a host of other amenities. The campus of the Edwards School of Business was named after the man who made the downtown campus a reality, K.W. Nasser, a prominent businessperson and U of S alumnus. His family’s donation to the school is valued at more than $2 million. The Nasser family has been dedicated to the U of S for over forty years and their desire to support students and faculty and to ensure the Saskatoon business community stays connected to the U of S was the motivating factor behind this wonderful opportunity.

Dr. Karim (Kay) Nasser moved to North America from his home country of Lebanon. After obtaining his Masters in Civil Engineering at Kansas University, he pursued his PhD at the University of Saskatchewan. During his tenure at the U of S as a professor, Dr. Nasser earned a reputation and a nickname as the “King of Concrete” for his many inventions and research in the discipline of Civil Engineering. Dr. Nasser started Victory Construction Ltd. (now Victory Majors Investment Corporation) in 1964 as a part time job and has grown the business over the last 45 years. Now, retired from the U of S, Dr. Nasser has continued to pursue real estate projects in his hometown of Saskatoon. He has been called a man with a vision for his flair and knowledge of real estate and is well regarded in the Saskatoon business community.

After a few discussions between Dr. Nasser and former Dean of Commerce, Dr. Grant Isaac, both recognized and agreed that there is a need to provide business programming in a business environment which would connect the business school to the business communities. From this vision, a partnership soon developed between the Edwards School of Business and, in turn, has made this vision become a reality.

The campus is home to the Master of Business Administration program, executive and professional programming offered through Business Advisory Services, the Executive Business Administration Certificate (EBAC) program, and occasional activities of other university units. Housing these programs downtown will enable the Edwards School of Business to accommodate up to 200 additional Bachelor of Commerce students on campus by 2012 without increasing class sizes. The downtown business campus is convenient for MBA students who often work at firms downtown. The K.W. Nasser Centre’s location enhances the student experience through its convenience, ease of access and increased opportunities to connect with members of the business community. A downtown campus also brings us closer to many of our stakeholders and gives Edwards School of Business the means to provide business programming in a business environment.

Today, the downtown campus is a 1626 sq m space, allowing the Edwards School of Business to offer business programming in a business setting. With other Canadian universities moving their business schools, or portions thereof to downtown locations, the Edwards School of Business does not want to be left behind. The Edwards School of Business’s presence downtown will add to the revitalization of Third Avenue and the downtown core as a whole. The first classes at the KW Nasser Centre were held on August 25, 2009.