Wednesday, November 29, 2017

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• Ontario’s public service master celebrates Master of Public Service program
• Executive actions in Hong Kong and beyond
• Where in the World? International Photo Contest 2017
• Fine Arts students offering fine holiday cards; other notes

Ontario’s public service master celebrates Master of Public Service program

by Natalie Quinlan.

The University of Waterloo’s Master of Public Service (MPS) program has a new home. Formerly located in Uptown Waterloo, MPS is now housed in East Campus 5 on Phillip Street. On hand to celebrate the move was Secretary of the Cabinet, Head of the Ontario Public Service and Clerk of the Executive Council Steve Orsini. 

Also in attendance at the official opening event were Director of Master of Public Service and Professor of Economics Anindya Sen, Associate Dean, Graduate Studies for the Faculty of Arts Linda Warley, and Vice-President, University Relations Sandra Banks.

Having begun his own career with the Ontario government through co-op, Secretary Orsini reflected on the importance of real-world experience as students work through their degree, the big risks or global issues that are impacting the country and the world, and how MPS is preparing students to become successful public servants.

“What a great facility,” Orsini said in a presentation in EC5’s lecture theatre. “The name, the mandate, the vision is very consistent to what we’re trying to accomplish within the Ontario Public Service.”

During a Q & A and the reception that followed, MPS students were able to chat with Orsini, picking the public servant's brain on the future of the industry, the tools being used to push it forward, and sought out advice for securing employment after leaving Waterloo’s lecture halls.

“I think the key thing is follow their instincts and really believe in what they’re trying to accomplish, by engaging the people that they are trying to help,” Orsini told the Daily Bulletin. “We really have to have a user or client-based focus drawing on our skills and creativity. That’s what I heard today—they’re embracing it, they’re champions, and have passion at the same time.”

A collaborative program within the Faculty of Arts, the Master of Public Service was created in 2010 to equip students with the knowledge, skills and experience they need for a public service career at any level within the government of Canada.

Executive actions in Hong Kong and beyond

It's Wednesday, November 29. Do you know where your president is?

The following is a non-exhaustive list of President Feridun Hamdullahpur's recent activities on and off campus and a preview of upcoming events.

On Friday, November 17 he attended the latest Research Talks event featuring Sarah Burch entitled "Transformative Governance on an Urban Planet," and he chaired the monthly meeting of the University's senate on Monday, November 20.

Since Wednesday, November 22, the president has been in Hong Kong along with a delegation of University of Waterloo representatives, engaging with alumni and university partners about potential opportunities and celebrating the University’s successes at home and abroad. 

On Thursday, November 23, the delegation took a tour of Cyberport Hong Kong and the Velocity Investor Demo Day brought 6 startups to Hong Kong to pitch to investors. President Hamdullahpur delivered opening remarks at the Velocity demo day event.

On Friday, November 24, the president was a keynote speaker at a meeting with the AMTD Group. He delivered remarks about the new economy to AMTD’s Global Advisory Committee. AMTD has also set up a University of Waterloo Innovation Hub in their Hong Kong offices for students, staff and alumni to connect with industry and community members.

President Hamdullahpur also signed two agreements with the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) that include a strategic partnership agreement and a memorandum of understanding to increase collaborations, including in the area of artificial intelligence.

Later that night, Feridun was a guest and speaker at the 60^th Anniversary Hong Kong alumni reception and dinner in the Grand Ballroom of the InterContinental Hong Kong in Kowloon. Hong Kong’s Chief Executive, the Honourable Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, was also in attendance and spoke at the event.

On Monday, November 27, President Hamdullahpur was the guest of honour at a dinner hosted by Consul General of Canada in Hong Kong and Macao Jeff Nankivell. The president delivered a speech at the event.

On Tuesday, November 28, the president visited Lingnan University and signed an agreement to start an undergraduate exchange program.

So what's next for the president once he returns from Hong Kong?

On Thursday, November 30, President Hamdullahpur will be attending the School of Accounting and Finance Awards Dinner.

On Wednesday, December 6, the president will participate in the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women vigil at 3:00 p.m. in Engineering 5's Sedra Student Design Centre.

On December 8, Feridun will be hosting the President’s Holiday Luncheon from 12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. in Federation Hall, commemorating a successful 60^th anniversary year and celebrating the arrival of the festive season. Lunch and refreshments will be provided.

Where in the World? International Photo Contest 2017

by Jacqueline Gergal.

International Education Week kicked off with co-op’s eighth annual Where in the World? International Co-op Photo Contest. The contest showcased the unique experiences of Waterloo co-op students across the globe. In just five hours on November 16, more than 300 students, employers and university staff members voted for their top two photo picks.  

The winning photo was submitted by Karolina Gaebe, a 3A Applied Mathematics student. In the spring of 2016, Gaebe worked as a Research Assistant at the University of Singapore, under the Institute of Systems Science. While there, she took a short trip to Myanmar.

"This photo shows the sunset from the U-Bein Bridge in Mandalay, Myanmar,” says Gaebe. “It shows one of the many times of my co-op term in Asia that simple things offered the most impressive views. This bridge was built in the 19^th century and is believed to be the longest teakwood bridge in the world.”

In second place was Zhaojia Liang, who had a work term in Hong Kong in the summer of 2017. Her picture depicts the Yick Fat building located in Hong Kong.

"It was a big shock to see a building like this. The apartments are small and densely packed, while the pragmatic architecture reflects the utilitarian austerity of postwar Hong Kong,” says Liang.  “It was amazing to see different architecture and different culture in other parts of the world."

Winners in the photo contest received cash prizes applied to their Watcards. All photos were submitted by co-op students who travelled outside of Canada for a work term.

Fine Arts students offering fine holiday cards; other notes

"Celebrate the season!" The Department of Fine Arts and the 4^th year students are fundraising for their annual student-run art exhibition by selling hand-made holiday cards now through December. Cards are print-screened by the students and vary in design reflecting the style of the artists. 

Holiday Cards can be ordered through the Society of Fine Arts (SOFA) webpage.

The holiday cards are 4 x 6, and cost $4 each, or:

• 3 for $10
• 6 for $20

To make an order please email c5chau@uwaterloo.ca. Orders are processed within 2-3 business days after your order confirmation. If you are located on main campus, our elves will happily hand-deliver your order to your office. If you are looking to purchase in bulk please contact c5chau@uwaterloo.ca.

Applications for Quantum Quest Seed Funding are currently being accepted from the Faculties of Math, Science and Engineering at the University of Waterloo, but the deadline is 5:00 p.m. today.

The Quantum Quest Seed Fund (QQSF) promotes the development of new ideas and applications for quantum devices. This fund was born from the expectation that there are more opportunities in more diverse fields than are seen by the researchers who are working day-to-day with quantum devices. The QQSF provides the opportunity to innovate broadly in the quantum field.

Applications may be submitted via email to tqt@uwaterloo.ca. For more information, visit the Transformative Quantum Technologies website.