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WIS UK: invest in science to "bend the universe"
by Chris Wilson-Smith. This is an excerpt of an article originally published on Waterloo Stories.
Leaders from the worlds of academia, business and politics are calling for a more rapid and expanded investment into fundamental science to ensure society capitalizes on the unexpected outcomes of deep research.
As the world grapples with massive problems like climate change, an aging population and geopolitical strife, it has never been more important to make big risks on long-term problems, those leaders told an audience at the Waterloo Innovation Summit in London, England.
As digital and demographic disruptors touch “every organization on the planet... during the most disruptive era in 200 years,” according to Dominic Barton, global economic advisor and chancellor of the University of Waterloo, more focus needs to be placed on the bigger questions that strike at the core of humanity's existence – of what makes us work, how we got here and where we are going.
By diving into those basic questions – researching them for the sake of research itself – humanity will not only address some of the world's most pressing issues, but set the stage for unimagined findings, new technologies, and entirely new sectors in the coming decades.
“First and foremost, we don't want to just be a supplier of talent for our communities and Canada,” said Feridun Hamdullahpur, president and vice-chancellor of Waterloo, as he opened the summit. “We have an ambition of being a part of building our nation – of being its chief architects.” As part of that effort, we must focus on connecting innovation with real-world problems, he said.
A shift in focus to basic science should be motivated by economic concerns, said Randall Howard, an angel investor who has built a successful career building and funding global firms based on innovation. In an age when even the Vatican is preparing for the effects of artificial intelligence, it is critical that countries, companies and investors brace for the “inevitability of change.”
Read the rest of the article on Waterloo Stories.
Waterloo receives Canada's Healthy Workplace Month certificate of merit
A message from the Healthy Workplace Committee.
The University has received recognition for initiatives undertaken to support the physical and psychological health of our employees.
Presented to the Healthy Workplace Committee, the certificate of merit recognizes the value of our commitment and delivery of ‘Keeping Well at Work Day 2018’ event. The event is considered an outstanding initiative focused on creating a safe and healthy workplace as showcased in Canada’s Healthy Workplace Month® 2018.
“Together with our Healthy Workplace Committee, we are committed to achieving a healthy workplace where all of our employees can feel they are valued, engaged and supported," said Associate Provost Human Resources Marilyn Thompson. "This recognition highlights the many activities, programs and initiatives across the University.”
Receipt of this award further supports the University’s commitment to the integration of Excellence Canada’s Excellence, Innovation, and Wellness (EIW) Standard across the university as a national quality model against which to measure and enable organizational excellence, innovation and wellness. To learn more about the Excellence Canada initiative at Waterloo, please visit https://uwaterloo.ca/excellence-canada/.
The Healthy Workplace Committee would like to recognize presenters and volunteers for their contributions, without which the event would not have been such a success. To access a copy of Waterloo’s application to Canada’s Healthy Workplace Month®, please visit: http://healthyworkplacemonth.ca/en/showcases.
New Quest navigation coming February 25
A message from the Quest Program Team.
As noted in the January 17 Daily Bulletin article, the Quest Program Team will be upgrading the existing Quest navigation structure to a more modern, tile-based experience.
After logging in, individuals will be presented with a new landing page, on which the information and resources available will be dependent on how their access is structured in Quest. Individuals who are members of multiple user groups (e.g. a staff person who is also a student) can easily toggle between landing pages using a drop down at the top of the page.
A consultative approach
The Quest Program Team and key campus partners in Information Systems & Technology (IST), Registrar’s Office, and Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs (GSPA) held a number of consultation sessions, user engagement initiatives, and demonstrations with students, faculty, and staff. This feedback was used to better align the design with user expectations and requirements, and generally improve the overall look and feel.
Quest unavailable during upgrade
Help & Feedback
- Quest support resources will be updated and available on the Quest website under the Help menu item.
- We want to hear from you! Send us your feedback on the new design using the Quest feedback form available on the Quest website, or from within the system itself.
For more information about this project, please visit the Student Information Systems Program (SISP) website.