Key Facts
Career & Education
About
Mohamed Elmasry is a Canadian academic and Muslim community leader of Egyptian origin. Born in Cairo, Egypt, in 1943, he immigrated to Canada in the late 1960s and established a distinguished career in electrical engineering. Elmasry earned his BSc in electrical engineering from Ain Shams University in Egypt, followed by an MSc from the University of Alberta and a PhD from the University of Waterloo. He joined the faculty at the University of Waterloo in 1986, where he served as a professor until his retirement in 2005, specializing in VLSI design and microelectronics. During his academic tenure, he founded the VLSI Research Group and contributed significantly to advancements in integrated circuit technology. Elmasry is best known for his leadership in Canadian Muslim advocacy, having served as the national president of the Canadian Islamic Congress (CIC) from 2000 to 2006. Under his presidency, the CIC became a prominent voice for the Muslim community, engaging in interfaith dialogue and policy advocacy while addressing issues of Islamophobia and civil liberties. His tenure was marked by both achievements and controversies, including public statements that drew significant media attention and criticism. Elmasry has remained active in public discourse post-retirement, commenting on issues affecting Muslim communities in Canada. He is recognized for bridging engineering expertise with social activism, though his career has faced scrutiny over certain remarks made in 2004 regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.