MCLEAN CENTRE STRATEGIC PLAN | ENGAGING COMMUNITIES STUDENT
McLean Centre for Collaborative Discovery celebrates grand opening
October 6, 2026 ·
Contributed by: Julienne Isaacs
The McLean Centre for Collaborative Discovery at the DeGroote School of Business has formally opened its doors — and ushered in a new era for business education in Canada.
Established with a foundational gift from the McLean family and the resounding support of McMaster University’s Board of Governors, the McLean Centre is the first business school building in Canada purpose-built for collaborative, interdisciplinary learning.
“The McLean Centre represents a reimagining of business education. This dynamic learning environment is where DeGroote and McMaster students can develop the skills they need to succeed in a rapidly changing world,” said Khaled Hassanein, dean of the DeGroote School of Business. “It is a true complement to the momentum of DeGroote’s legacy, and a bold step toward preparing students for what comes next.”
Len Waverman, who served as dean of the DeGroote School of Business from 2013 to 2021 and set the stage for this new building, said the idea for the McLean Centre emerged from a McMaster workshop that asked representatives from many faculties to describe their vision. “I thought, ‘DeGroote students have few abilities to be in organized sessions with students from other faculties.’ And that began to be the vision of the McLean Centre for Collaborative Discovery.”
“The vision is now a reality,” said Paul McLean. “We are so excited to see the significant impact the McLean Centre for Collaborative Discovery is going to have by providing an environment that introduces experiential learning and student collaboration across multiple faculties at McMaster.”
Experiential learning has existed for a long time at McMaster. In the 1960s, McMaster University pioneered evidence-based, student-centred learning at its medical school. At the McLean Centre, students will be able to develop and apply what they learn in traditional classroom settings and customize their studies according to their interests.
“The McLean Centre is going to change the way we educate our students — not only students in the business school, but from across our whole campus,” said Susan Tighe, president and vice-chancellor of McMaster University. “It exemplifies what learner-centred education looks like and will be a real beacon on our campus for students, faculty and staff to come together.”
McLean Centre features
The 10-storey building hosts several dedicated Learning Hubs where students can work on targeted problems alongside community partners, alumni and colleagues from across McMaster. In the Learning Hubs, students can explore a range of themes, including entrepreneurship, artificial intelligence, sustainability, finance, social impact and leadership.
The Marinucci Entrepreneurial Bridge on the seventh floor serves as the hub for McMaster’s entrepreneurship ecosystem, bringing students and faculty members across campus together in one space to bring new ideas to life. The Marinucci Entrepreneurial Bridge welcomed Tej Sandhu (BCom ’10) as its first Entrepreneur in Residence in July 2025.
Along with the DeGroote School of Business, the facility hosts McMaster’s Office of the Registrar, the Faculty of Health Sciences’ Biomedical Discovery and Commercialization (BDC) program, the Department of Surgery’s Innovation through Design, Evidence & Acceleration (IDEA) program, Media Production Services, Housing and Conference Services and the newly opened Innis Library.
The main-floor BMO Connection Zone features Remember ∙ Honour ∙ Renew, an art installation crafted by acclaimed sculptor David General, an Indigenous artist of Oneida/Mohawk heritage and a member of the Six Nations of the Grand River.
An auditorium, smart classrooms, event spaces and a planned café on the main floor further complement the space.
To learn more about this innovative building, please visit mccd.degroote.mcmaster.ca.
