University Canada West presents Honorary Doctorates to Margaret Mubanda and Gary Thandi

Vancouver, BC – Monday, December 1, 2025 – University Canada West is delighted to announce it will present Honorary Doctorates to Margaret Mubanda and Gary Thandi at its Fall 2025 Convocation ceremonies on December 2 and 3.

Margaret Mubanda has dedicated her life to supporting and empowering new immigrants, women and children in British Columbia.

Originally from Uganda, Ms. Mubanda brought with her a passion for helping others acclimate and succeed. She served for 21 years as a social worker with the BC Ministry of Children and Family Development, and spent 15 years as a foster parent, opening her home to over 20 foster childrenover the years.

Drawing on her wealth of experience, Ms. Mubanda co-founded the Daughters of Hope Resource Society, a non-profit that helps new immigrants – especially women and their families – adjust to life in Canada. Through Daughters of Hope, she created a culturally attuned support platform offering mentorship, resources and a sense of belonging for newcomer women, informed by her own perspective as both an immigrant and a caregiver.

Her innovative initiatives include spearheading the “Youth Aging Out of Care” project in Surrey, which successfully advocated for extended government support to foster youth beyond age 19, when they traditionally would age out of the system. This achievement has had a lasting impact, giving vulnerable young adults a better chance at transitioning to independent life.

Even after retiring from the public service Ms. Mubanda has remained a tireless volunteer and leader. She holds leadership roles in multiple organizations, including the Uganda Canadian Association of BC and the African Women Empowerment Society, where she works to strengthen community integration and champion the rights of women, immigrants and other marginalized groups.

She also volunteers her time running a weekly traumatic-bereavement support group for people who have lost loved ones, helping newcomers by translating immigration documents and continues to make her home a sanctuary for anyone in need of guidance or shelter.

In 2020 Ms. Mubanda received the YWCA Metro Vancouver Women of Distinction Award (Connecting the Community) for her advocacy and volunteerism. In 2021, the Province of British Columbia honoured her with the Medal of Good Citizenship, an award given to citizens who make outstanding contributions to community well-being.

“We are thrilled to bestow an Honorary Doctorate on Margaret Mubanda in recognition of her outstanding contributions to social work, community advocacy and the empowerment of vulnerable families across British Columbia,” said UCW President and Vice-Chancellor, Dr. Bashir Makhoul. “Her work exemplifies the values of compassion, resilience and transformative service, making a tangible difference in the lives of countless individuals.”

Gary Thandi is one of those rare individuals who has harnessed the grief of a personal tragedy and turned it into a positive force for change.

After losing his wife to frontotemporal dementia in 2017 and being forced to navigate his own trauma and bereavement, Mr. Thandi made it his mission to support others in the community.

He founded Moving Forward Family Services to offer low barrier counselling and support to everyone in British Columbia, as well as those living elsewhere in Canada, who struggle to access local support services.

Determined to prevent financial constraints from stopping people accessing the help they need, Mr. Thandi has ensured the charity offered its services at little or no cost. Instead of relying on government funding, Moving Forward Family Services operates thanks to community donations and keeps its expenses low by operating out of donated space, having minimal hierarchy and bureaucracy, and offering free and low-cost services with fully supervised new counsellors and social workers, many of whom are students on school practicum or newer graduates.

Each month, 2,500 people use the service, receiving support in one of 30 different languages.

In addition to his work with Moving Forward Family Services, Mr. Thandi has had an extensive career in public service, working as a settlement worker, victim services worker, probation officer, hospital social worker, and addictions and family counsellor.

He has combined this work with academic research aimed at facilitating a greater understanding of the mental health challenges faced by an array of different groups, particularly South Asian communities and men.

Mr. Thandi co-led a landmark study on Culturally Adapted Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) produced several important outcomes that have helped transform mental health care for South Asian Canadians. His insights informed the development of new training resources to support culturally adapted techniques and to help develop a degree of cultural humility in those offering therapeutic support.

His work highlighted a stigma and lack of awareness around mental health issues and advocated for the modification of traditional CBT practices to incorporate cultural awareness.

“We are pleased to bestow an Honorary Doctorate on Gary Thandi in recognition of his tireless and selfless devotion to helping those in need,” said Dr. Makhoul. “His work has not

only helped countless individuals in British Columbia and across Canada, it has informed important policy discussions around mental health services and has helped shape national guidelines.”

“Margaret Mubanda and Gary Thandi are exceptional role models for our students, alumni and the entire UCW Community,” he said. “Their contributions make them truly worthy recipients of Honorary Doctorates.”

Ms. Mubanda will receive a Doctor of Laws degree during UCW’s Fall 2025 Convocation ceremony at Queen Elizabeth Theatre on Tuesday, December 2. Mr. Thandi will receive a Doctor of Laws degree during a ceremony on Wednesday, December 3.

About University Canada West (UCW) 

University Canada West (UCW) is an innovative business and technology-oriented institution in Vancouver, Canada, offering undergraduate and graduate degrees for domestic and international students.

UCW offers a range of career-focused programs including, Bachelor of Commerce, Bachelor of Arts in Business Communication, Associate of Arts and Master of Business Administration. Courses are offered at our state-of-the-art Vancouver House Campus in downtown Vancouver campus.

Contact:

For media inquiries or to arrange an interview contact Jessica Kerr, UCW Senior Manager, Recruitment & Public Relations, at media@ucanwest.ca.