Tuesday, September 28, 2021

Waterloo Innovation Summit takes place today

The latest event in the Waterloo Innovation Summit series, Recalibrate for Social and Economic Prosperity, is happening virtually today beginning at 9:00 a.m. The University of Waterloo is welcoming business, academic and government leaders to join President Vivek Goel to explore new ways to champion social and economic prosperity.

"Meaningful transformation cannot happen if we copy the innovation models developed decades ago," says the WIS promotional material. "Industries and governments must embrace this extraordinary moment and engage new perspectives and models of innovating that support a global view of economic and social prosperity."

This event will explore how our economic and policy systems need to innovate for our collective future.

Delivering the keynote address is Dan Breznitz, author and chair of Innovation Studies at the University of Toronto. Drawing on his latest book Innovation in Real Places: Strategies for Prosperity in an Unforgiving World, Breznitz will challenge us to examine new models for innovation-based growth that enable communities to recognize their own advantages within the global market.

Dan will be joined in conversation with Vivek Goel.

Following the keynote address will be a panel discussion entitled “Policy recalibration: who will lead the transformation?” featuring moderator Denise Balkissoon, journalist and University of Waterloo Jarislowsky Fellow.

"Dynamic change happens when policy transforms alongside the communities, industries and innovators shaping our country and the world. Businesses and government must engage new voices and perspectives to move beyond existing frameworks and lead innovative policy that champions positive economic and social impact. Those left managing the status quo will be left behind."

Panellists include:

• Tabitha Bull, CEO of the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business;
• Jacob Glick, vice-president, public policy at TELUS; senior executive fellow at the Centre for International Governance Innovation; and
• Bessma Momani, professor of Political Science at Waterloo; senior fellow at the Centre for International Governance Innovation; non-resident fellow at the Arab Gulf States Institute 

Follow along online by using the hashtag #UWaterlooSummit.

Equity and Inclusion consultant to lead PART's October anti-racism book club

This article was originally published in the Catalyst e-newsletter.

Since July of this year, PART has been hosting a virtual monthly anti-racism book club, with members of the University of Waterloo community to promote education, awareness, and a deeper understanding of race, culture, and ethnicity across campus. On October 19, at noon, Angel Hammoud, Equity and Inclusion consultant at the Waterloo Region District School Board (WRDSB) will lead a discussion on Thomas King's "The Inconvenient Indian."

An educator with a background in teaching English and History, Angel Hammoud has taught in places like Kuala Lumpur and Fort Nelson in BC. He has been a teacher in the WRDSB for more than 11 years. As a cisgender, Southeast Asian male, Angel is keenly aware of the importance of facilitating knowledge sharing and discussions about xenophobia and racism. He works with teachers and administrators at the elementary and secondary level, helping them to become more empathetic, equitable, and inclusive educators.

Angel looks forward to leading the discussion on "The Inconvenient Indian." He considers the book to be an important read because, although approaching ten years since its publication, King vividly describes the indignity and mistreatment that Indigenous people experience, which sadly still persist. 

"It seems odd to remark," he mused, "but The Inconvenient Indian is at times equal parts hilarity and heartbreak. King speaks about the erasure of entire languages and cultures with a kind of humour and clarity that makes those discussions somewhat easier to hear."

Why is it important for settlers to facilitate and lead discussions like these? “Ultimately, the onus to educate settlers about the history of this 500-year relationship should not be solely on Indigenous people," explained Sara Anderson, manager, Research Program Development and Partnerships, Indigenous Initiatives and coordinator of PART's Educational Environment and Development of Learners working group. "It is important to demonstrate that settlers can engage in conversations about historical and contemporary events and issues that impact Indigenous communities in a manner that is respectful and does not appropriate Indigenous voices. This book club session aims to achieve this purpose,” she concluded.

Both Sara Anderson and Angel Hammoud believe that King provides context for the current realities of Indigenous communities by sharing a historical narrative using humour and storytelling. They hope attendees gain an understanding of the shared history of this land we now call Canada and the resilience and strength of Indigenous peoples.

Register for the October Anti-racism book club.

Aliens invade first-year design course

This article was originally published on the Systems Design Engineering website.

This year’s incoming class of Systems Design Engineering (SYDE) students will be navigating their first semester at the University of Waterloo alongside visitors from the far-off planet TsTs.  

In the first-year course, Introduction to Design (SYDE 161), students learn a user-centered design process that they will apply throughout their degree. The major assignment in the course this year asks students to use Engineering design methods to develop a solution to a problem faced by a very specific group of users.

Rather than the usual default of human users, students will design for aliens visiting Earth from planet TsTs. Students will be provided with a scale model of a TsTsian, cultural artifacts, and supporting information that they will need to design a solution for the aliens to navigate Engineering 5 (E5) and the University of Waterloo campus.  

The course balances whimsical elements with hard science. The planet is based on TRAPPIST-1e, an exoplanet in the habitable zone located 40 light-years away from Earth. Research shows that water is present on the planet, so the course instructor, Dr. Matt Borland, imagined that the surface is covered in several feet of deep marshland.

“TsTs’s inhabitants live partially suspended in water, so their legs are unable to support them on Earth without a mobility aid,” added Borland. “It creates a clear a challenge for students to solve while applying concepts from physics, anthropometry, and material science. Accessibility is an important aspect of our world that needs more attention. By looking through the eyes of these aliens, accessibility issues our students may have been unable to notice in their day-to-day life will hopefully become more visible to them.”

Other aspects of the TsTsians life on earth will help students make design decisions, like  TsTsiopometrics (an alien version of anthropometric data) and the physical dimensions and characteristics of the Engineering buildings that the students are studying in.

“Students have to think critically about things like Activities of Daily Living and how the TsTsians will use a toilet or take an elevator to get to the sixth floor SYDE classrooms. It gets students to empathize with their users and pay attention to their new environments here on campus since they have both found themselves in a new space, a long way away from home.”

Inspiration for this unconventional approach comes from a Product Design course taught at MIT Engineering in 1951. The course instructor, John E. Arnold, immersed students in a sci-fi universe with memos and drawings that detailed features of the aliens and their home planet. 

Using technological advances in the 70 years since the original course, Borland is giving students a more hands-on experience. He created scale models of TsTs’s aliens using SYDE’s onsite 3D printers so students can have a tangible object to work with whether they are on-campus or studying remotely this term.

Borland credits departmental support in bringing this idea to life. “An experimental course like this was made possible by the support of our amazing staff, in particular Zivojin Pantic, who 3D printed 120 of the aliens for our new SYDE students over the course of the summer. Credit is also due for creative and pedagogical support from SYDE Librarian, Dr. Kate Mercer, and to our department leadership for supporting me in trying out these extraterrestrial ideas."

“The models give students something to interact with as they create scale prototypes,” said Borland. “It also shows them the resources which are available to our SYDE students which they can later use to manufacture their prototype solutions as part of an iterative design process.”  

If you are visiting E5 this fall, look out for TsTsian posters and the design projects of our 2026 SYDE cohort.  

Photos and images courtesy of Matt Borland.

Sustainability Certificate virtual sessions for staff and faculty

A message from the Sustainability Office.

Are you curious about sustainability? Want to know about how to embed sustainability actions into your life and workplace?  If so, the Sustainability Office invites you to join virtual classes for the Sustainability Certificate, which has now opened registration for the fall term.

The certificate builds upon the University's Environmental Sustainability Strategy's goal of embedding sustainability actions into campus culture. It recognizes that all employees will have a role to play in building a sustainable campus.

Those interested in taking the course and participating in discussions can sign up through Workday. The certificate covers topics including climate change, biodiversity, sustainable consumption, and sustainable travel.

The course sessions will be held between October 4, 2021 and November 15, 2021. Staff and faculty who wish to learn more information or to sign up can visit the sustainability website. Additionally, an asynchronous LEARN version of the Sustainability Certificate will still be offered to all Staff, Students and Faculty.

October is Islamic Heritage Month and other notes

"October is Islamic Heritage Month in Canada," says a note from Human Rights, Equity and Inclusion (HREI). "This is a tremendous opportunity to learn and honour the rich history of Islam, and diverse contributions of Muslims in Canada. It is important to recognize the diversity that exists within the faith of Islam, and the folks who practice it, including the multitude of people, stories, and cultures that have shaped, and continue to shape Canada."

You can explore the many ways to learn and engage in October.

Waterloo International is seeking units, departments, faculties and student groups interested in hosting events for International Education Week 2021. Please contact Aisha Shibli before 1 November 2021 to register your interest and to be included in the calendar of events.