International shipping award goes to UBC professor
Trevor Heaver shares $200,000 as co-winner of the Onassis Prize
To University of B.C. professor emeritus Trevor Heaver, Vancouver simply looked like an exciting place to start an academic career in transportation economics when he arrived to teach classes in 1960.
That’s freight transportation, though — don’t ask him about how to solve TransLink’s woes. He embarked on his career at the cusp of a revolution in global shipping at the forefront of its study, which this year has earned him a prestigious Onassis Prize. The prize is awarded once every three years to top academics in finance, international trade and shipping by the Cass Business School at City University, London and the Alexander S. Onassis Public Benefit Foundation.
Heaver was named co-winner of the prize for shipping, which means he will share the $200,000 award with economist Martin Stopford, non-executive president of the consulting firm Clarksons Research Services.
He has watched as Vancouver evolved from being an ordinary port served by Second World War- built bulk ships, when shipping containers were barely on the horizon, to a major international gateway on the Pacific Rim trade corridor served by increasingly efficient, interlocked rail services that connect with port terminals and fleets of newer and bigger bulk carriers and containerized goods.
“Without our ability to transport goods efficiently, and that means origin to destination throughout the world, we wouldn’t have the global economy that we have,” Heaver said.
Along the way, Heaver introduced courses in transportation that now form the basis of the Centre for Transportation, and the Transportation and Logistics Division, in what is now the UBC Sauder School of Business.
Internationally, he helped found the World Conference on Transport Research and the International Association of Maritime Economists, and represented UBC as chairman on both organizations.
Though Heaver retired in 1997, he continues to research, publish, lecture and advise graduate students on transportation issues around the world. He will be presented with the Onassis Prize, along with four other honourees, by the Lord Mayor London, Alderman Alan Yarrow, at a dinner in June.
Heaver discussed his career with The Vancouver Sun. Q Why did you pick transportation economics?
A I’ve always lived in port towns. My teenage years were spent in Dover. Up on the white cliffs you have plenty of opportunity to see the world’s traffic go by on the English Channel.
Q In casual conversation, if you’re at a dinner party, how do you convince people that shipping and logistics are important to study? A Well, you sit at the table, you look at the table, you look at the food, you look at the furnishings and ask where did they come from? Most of them have come from a long, long way away and transportation and logistics are absolutely vital to enabling us to buy, at the prices that we do, the range of commodities that we enjoy. You only have to have the threat or reality of port closures to appreciate how important they are to the well- being of our businesses.
Q What are people missing in not recognizing the importance of shipping, transportation and logistics?
A They’re missing this fundamental relationship between specialization being able to result in goods produced more efficiently. They’re missing not being able to access resources that are not evenly distributed over the world.
Q How well is Canada doing at maintaining its transportation networks?
A Obviously the gateway initiative, which started here on the Pacific and became a national strategy, has been very important. And the important feature of that strategy is that it is conceptual. Vancouver, in particular, has been fortunate in having a number of people with a strong conceptual base (which results in technological innovation and investment).
Q What does Canada need to do better?
A What we are lacking now is this strong research basis from which ideas and strategies evolve. We’re not replacing the idea leaders in transportation and logistics as we should be.
Q Can you recall the first time you were first captivated by shipping?
A It’s just an exciting industry, with its ups and downs. My educational background was in geography and economics, and you have to think globally when you deal with shipping. I think it’s the association of a global outlook along with an exciting business. As a P.S., if you want to travel the world, the shipping business is a very good business to be involved in.