Monday, April 13, 2026

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• Navigating Rupture: One year on, regional leadership takes shape amid global upheaval 

• Canada’s first CREATE biomedical graduate training program to put needs before solutions delivered transformative results

• Student facilitators sought for Athletics inclusion statement focus groups
• Math 4's crane removal will lead to closures on Wednesday

Navigating Rupture: One year on, regional leadership takes shape amid global upheaval

Dr. Ann Fitz-Gerald, Hamza Abdulbasit, and Dr. Vivek Goel in conversation at the Navigating Rupture event. Photograph by Sam Charles.

A message from the Global Futures Office.

One year after the University of Waterloo convened regional leaders for the CEO Challenge, the pace of global change has accelerated even faster than many anticipated. On April 7, many of those same leaders gathered again for Navigating Rupture—a public forum that explored how Canada, Ontario, and Waterloo Region can respond to widening geopolitical instability, technological disruption, and economic reordering.

Co‑hosted by the University’s Global Futures Office and the Balsillie School of International Affairs, the event brought together a cross‑section of regional leadership, including Regional Chair Karen Redman; Dorothy McCabe, Mayor of the City of Waterloo, and Scott Davey, Acting Mayor of the City of Kitchener, among the more than 100 attendees across business, government, academia and community.

The discussion was intentionally framed as a continuation of the 2025 CEO Challenge. The global fault lines explored then have only since intensified. Geopolitical tensions have become more fractured and competition over artificial intelligence, data, and supply chains more explicit. However, a key theme throughout the evening’s discussion focused on the importance of collaboration in these turbulent times.

In opening remarks, Dr. Richard Florizone, Special Advisor to the President and Provost on Global Futures, emphasized Waterloo Region’s capacity to respond collectively in moments of disruption.

“What has always distinguished this region is not just what we do well individually, but how we work together,” Dr. Florizone said.

President Vivek Goel echoed that sentiment, noting that “this region has long been defined by its ability to anticipate change and to lead through it.”

“It's not enough to react to change,” he continued. “We must help shape what comes next.”

He reflected that since the CEO Challenge, that spirit of collaboration has translated into tangible progress locally, most notably through initiatives like the Waterloo Region AI Coalition.

“It's about more than just developing AI tools to help local companies, local platforms, the healthcare system,” Dr. Goel said. “It's about developing the capacity--the talent—and  creating the opportunity for that talent to see that they can grow their careers here in this region.”

Expert speakers Hamza Abdulbasit, Fellow at the Balsillie School of International Affairs (BSIA), and Dr. Ann Fitz-Gerald, Director of BSIA, offered perspectives on a range of topics including supply chains, AI, standards, trade diversification, defence, cybersecurity, and the importance of growing Canadian firms and talent. Their remarks focused on how Canada, as a middle power, can navigate global change by strengthening domestic capacity while working with international partners. Dr. Fitz-Gerald noted that Canada has an opportunity to work with other middle powers to lead on setting standards rather than passive “rule taking.”

A moderated discussion with the speakers, led by President Goel, expanded on these themes, examining interprovincial barriers, data governance, sustainability, and the role regions can play in national renewal. One key observation throughout the talk was that Canada’s future competitiveness will depend on moving beyond resource extraction toward value‑added production—and on strengthening home‑grown firms, talent pipelines, and trusted AI capacity.

Despite the current turbulence, the evening closed on a hopeful note. Looking ahead to a year from now, speakers expressed hope and optimism that momentum would continue: internationally, through stronger cooperation among middle powers, and locally, by building on the region’s collaborative approach.

As President Goel observed “In a moment of global rupture, collaboration is not just aspirational—its essential.”

Canada’s first CREATE biomedical graduate training program to put needs before solutions delivered transformative results

NSERC CREATE program trainees and coordinators during the 2022 Annual Summer School Bio hackathon and Design challenge.

By Daniel Dapaah.

In 2018, the University of Waterloo launched the NSERC Collaborative Research and Training Experience (CREATE) program in global biomedical technology research and innovation. Led by Dr. Catherine Burns, a professor of Systems Design Engineering and the Canada Research Chair in Human Factors in Healthcare Systems, the program was established to provide graduate students in the healthcare, medical and biotechnology fields with opportunities to directly interact with end users and stakeholders. As Canada’s first “needs first” graduate training program, it enabled students to identify unmet clinical and industry needs before developing technological solutions.

Inspired by conversations with her departmental colleagues Dr. Maud Gorbet, a professor and the Biomedical Engineering Program Director, and Dr. Thomas Willet, a professor of biomedical engineering, Burns secured $2.34 million in funding from NSERC and University of Waterloo to bring the program to life.

“We had many discussions about how to educate a biomedical engineer,” Burns said. “Someone who is at their core a great engineer, but also savvy about how healthcare works, understands how to identify important problems and navigate those needs to practical, adopted solutions. The NSERC CREATE program provided an opportunity to test-drive those ideas and develop content and opportunities.”

The program concluded in 2025 becoming the University’s most successful CREATE initiative. Over seven years, the program trained 73 PhD and master’s degree students in engineering and the health sciences. The program delivered more than 270 training sessions — including lectures, workshops, seminars, and biohackathons — focused on biomedical device and technological design, commercialization of these new devices and professional skill development.

The trainees also gained hands-on experience through industry internships, academic exchanges, and an international summer school organized in collaboration with the University of Technology of Compiègne in France.

Participants describe the program as transformative. Dr. Piyush Garg, now enrolled in the Master of Business, Entrepreneurship and Technology (MBET) program at the University’s Conrad School of Entrepreneurship and Business, highlighted the value of interdisciplinary connections and his internship with the National Research Council.

“This program brought experiences beyond my PhD that set me apart from others with a similar degree,” Garg said. “It also taught me that I can do multiple things at the same time.”

PhD candidate Arya Amiri echoed this sentiment, emphasizing the importance of his internship at Grand River Hospital. “It gave me a better sense of how hospitals work,” Amiri said. “CREATE provided exciting experiences to learn about industries, hospitals and to travel — experiences that would have otherwise made my PhD boring.”

Reflecting on the program’s impact, Burns emphasized the importance of rethinking graduate education. “The NSERC CREATE program is a unique opportunity to design a training experience for graduate students. Sometimes we don’t put enough effort or thought into our graduate school experiences and forget that graduate degrees are increasingly critical in some fields, especially deep tech and high-tech fields.  Developing well-trained, employment- or innovation-ready graduates means combining worldclass research with field specific knowledge and skills.”

Student facilitators sought for Athletics inclusion statement focus groups

A message from the Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Anti-Racism Office (EDI-R).

Interested in helping Athletics put inclusion into action? We’re looking for 5 student facilitators to lead focus groups that will help to develop an Inclusion Statement for Athletics. The statement should reflect Athletics’ commitment to a fair, respectful, and inclusive sports environment, shaped by diverse student voices, ensuring everyone feels seen, supported, and able to fully participate in programs, spaces, and experiences.

Student facilitators will receive compensation for attending training and for leading the focus groups.

No prior facilitation experience is required, just a willingness to learn, listen, and create space for meaningful conversations.

This is a chance to gain hands-on experience, build valuable skills, and make a real impact on inclusion in Athletics.

Visit the EDI-R website to learn more and to register!

Math 4's crane removal will lead to closures on Wednesday

Speaking of navigating rupture, the Mathematics 4 (M4) construction project is about to reach another major milestone with the dismantling of the tower crane now that the structure of the building is complete, according to a note from Plant Operations. "In order to dismantle the tower crane in a safe manner, William Tutte Way will be closed on Wednesday, April 15, from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.," says Plant Ops. "Due to this dismantling, all adjacent pedestrian pathways will need to be closed for safety."

The tower crane currently, er, towering over the Math 4 construction site.

There will be no pedestrian access down William Tutte Way from Ring Road to the Math 3 building during the dismantling operation. The pathway from L-Lot to William Tutte Way and the General Services Complex (GSC) will have no access to the front doors of M3. M3 itself will remain open, with the main entrance accessible via the BMH Green. The General Services Complex will remain open via the doors at the corner of Ring Road.

For more information about the closure, consult the Service Interruption Notice website.

Interesting in more information about Math 4? Check out the Faculty of Math's Mathematics 4 website.