Wednesday, January 20, 2016

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• John Ralston Saul speaks on campus tonight
• Last Saturday was Fantastic
• Strengthening overseas co-op connections
• Wednesday's notes

John Ralston Saul speaks on campus tonight

John Ralston Saul, the award-winning novelist, essayist and philosopher, will be on campus tonight for a discussion of his new work, The Comeback.  

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Saul's newest book is a powerful pamphlet on the growing force of indigenous peoples in Canada.

In addition to his dramatic and moving argument, Saul uses letters, speeches and writings of aboriginal leaders to present an unfamiliar story of Canada’s past so that we may better understand its present and imagine a better future. 

Born in Ottawa, Saul studied at McGill University and King’s College, University of London, where he obtained his Ph.D. in 1972.

Saul's written works include Saul is Voltaire’s Bastards: The Dictatorship of Reason in the West, The Doubter’s Companion: A Dictionary of Aggressive Common Sense and The Unconscious Civilization. He has also published six novels.

Saul is a Companion of the Order of Canada, the Order of Ontario and a Chevalier in the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres of France. His 19 honourary degrees range from McGill University and l’Université du Québec (UQAM), both in Montréal, to Herzen State Pedagogical University in St. Petersburg, Russia.

No stranger to the Waterloo campus, John Ralston Saul has delivered public lectures and participated in panel discussions on several occasions. He delivered the 1996 Hagey Lecture and spoke on campus in 2008 and 2011.

Copies of The Comeback will be available on-site for purchase. 

Saul's lecture begins at 7:30 p.m. in the Humanities Theatre. 

Last Saturday was Fantastic

by Alumni Relations

The 17^th annual Fantastic Alumni, Faculty, Staff and Retiree Day took place on Saturday, January 16^th. The day was a great success with over 700 spectators in the brand new bleachers cheering on the Warriors men’s and women’s basketball teams as they took on the Brock Badgers. Along with the basketball games, the festivities included the Alumni vs. Staff Monster Hoops showdown and the annual Airplane Toss, where additional paper airplane purchases raised $400 in support of KidsAbility.

Airplane Toss winners included:

• Alumnus Julie Bundscho (BA ’04), who won a Date Night in Toronto;
• Alumnus Charlotte Karger (BA ’96), who won a Family Getaway to Blue Mountain;
• Kinesiology student Nathan Ho, who won a Flight Package valued at $1,000;
• Alumnus Chris Pieters (BMath ’92), who won Harlem Globetrotters tickets and $100 Boston Pizza gift card, and
• Alumnus Linda Kieswetter (BSc ’75), who won a Bose Wireless Speaker Bundle and $100 iTunes gift card.

For a recap of the day visit the event Storify and the UWaterloo Alumni Facebook for photos. Special thanks to Athletics for their partnership on this event for alumni, faculty, staff and retirees. We hope to see you next year!

Strengthening overseas co-op connections

Johannetta van der Vlies, International Relations Coordinator, HZ University of Applied Sciences; Carla Pesch, Coordinator, Building with Nature, Delta Academy, HZ University of Applied Sciences; Hans Cappon, Researcher, Water Technology, Delta Academy, HZ University of Applied Sciences; Drew Knight, Director, Global Research and Strategic Alliances, Waterloo International/Office of Research; Jouke Heringa, Coordinator, Aquaculture Research and Training, Delta Academy, HZ University of Applied Sciences; Peter J van Zunderd, Lecturer, Resilient Deltas, Delta Academy, HZ University of Applied Sciences.

by Jessica Barch.

Did you know more than 2,300 Waterloo co-op students complete international work terms each year? This wouldn’t be possible without the strong partnerships the University has with international employers. One of those employers is HZ University, based in the Netherlands.

Recently, Drew Knight, director of global research and strategic alliances in the Office of Research presented HZ University with Co-operative Education & Career Action’s (CECA) Certificate of Appreciation in recognition of the high number of Waterloo co-op students they employ. HZ currently employs more Waterloo co-op students than any other organization in the Netherlands, and has a reputation for hiring many first work term and research co-op students.

HZ offers students the opportunity to gain valuable hands-on-experience in their field of study. They hire from a diverse range of programs, including Environment and Resource Studies, Geography and Environmental Management, and Chemical Engineering. These students have the opportunity to work in fields such as Aquaculture Research and Training, Water Technology, and Resilient Deltas. 

Emily Shields, a 3A Geography and Environmental Management student, had the opportunity to work for HZ during the Fall 2015 term as an Aquaculture Research Assistant.

“The work experience I gained from my co-op term was very valuable,” said Emily. “I completed laboratory experiments that allowed me to develop skills that I do not typically acquire during my coursework. For example, I conducted an experiment with the Aquaculture research group concerning the overwintering of seaweed. This information was requested by a company that aims to cultivate the seaweed inland, in tanks.”

On top of the great learning experience, Emily also made the most of the travel opportunities that came with an international work term.

“The Netherlands was a great place to work,” she explained. “I was exposed to Dutch and picked up some basic phrases, most people also spoke very good English, so it was easy to communicate, especially when travelling and navigating. The country’s small size made it so easy to travel around.”

Thank you HZ University and other employers around the world who recruit talent from, and have strong relationships with the University of Waterloo!

Visit the CECA website to learn more about international work terms. 

Wednesday's notes

The University of Waterloo Staff Association (UWSA) is offering 3 awards of $500 each this winter term, one for graduate students and two for undergraduate students. To be eligible you must be a member of the UWSA or be the spouse, child, grandchild or dependent of a UWSA member. The deadline to apply is Monday, February 15.  

Employers on campus next week hosting employer information sessions include Street Contxt, PDT Partners, Microsoft Canada, Newton North America, Riot Games, Pacific Services Canada, Spin Master, Vena Solutions, Yahoo, Yelp, Lyft, NexJ Systems, Citi Canada Technology Services, IBM, Ernst and Young, LinkedIn, PointClickCare, CSE, Zynga, A9, Brock Solutions, and Wish.