Office of the Associate Provost, Co-operative and Experiential Education

The University of Waterloo’s co-operative education model was featured at the IMPACT 2026 conference as a leading approach to preparing students for careers in Canada’s growing green and blue economy. Judene Pretti emphasized that co-op and work-integrated learning give students real-world experience, helping them build critical skills, adaptability and a sense of purpose in sustainability-focused roles. The discussion also underscored the importance of strong partnerships between post-secondary institutions and employers, showing how collaboration, multiple work terms and initiatives like SDG-focused reflection activities help students connect their work to broader environmental and workforce needs.

Faculty of Health co-op student, Sarah Bayrakdarian, shines among talented peers at Breast Cancer Survivorship and Supportive Care International Conference.

Richard Andrew “Dick” Pullin passed away on July 16, 2025, after more than three decades of building Waterloo’s co-operative education into a global leader. He joined the co-op department in 1970 as the first Science-stream co-ordinator, crafted job-matching processes, forged employer partnerships and later led national associations while editing the Journal of Co-operative Education. Pullin’s legacy lives on in the structures he built and the generations of students and educators he inspired.