Friday, March 11, 2022

In-person campus tours return, with Virtual Open House on March 19

A message from Marketing and Undergraduate Recruitment.

We're excited to have in-person tours back in full swing, with 1,300+ guests registered to tour campus, faculties, and colleges during March Break, which runs from March 14 to 18.

Tours are operating out of Fed Hall for the week to accommodate the increased number of visitors wanting to visit campus during their school break.

Finishing off the week, prospective students may register for the March Virtual Open House (MVOH), which will be held on Saturday March 19, from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

The MVOH will allow prospective students from around the world to learn more about Waterloo’s varied programs and services, and to connect with professors, staff and students who will be on hand during the event.

Attendees will have the chance to sit in on presentations, join virtual campus and residence tours, ask questions through live chat, watch videos, and download brochures.

If you know a university-bound student, invite them to register.

Q and A with the experts: war and the threat to Canada

The University of Waterloo has a number of experts available to speak about the issues of the day.

Once-peaceful neighbours Ukraine and Russia find themselves in an eight-year-long conflict culminating in a bloody full-scale invasion by Russian forces. University of Waterloo political scientist Veronica Kitchen answers questions about which security issues Canadians should be worried about given recent events in Europe and the United States.

Canada is very proximate to Russia through the Arctic. Does Russia pose a threat to Canadian territory? 

Canada’s Arctic is key to Canadian defence and has been since Russia developed the capability, during the Cold War, to fly bombers and launch long-range missiles over the North Pole. A threat to the North is a threat to Canadian sovereignty and a threat to the security of the primarily indigenous population across the Arctic, in Canada and beyond. The Arctic Council, which is the governing body that cooperates on issues like environmental protection and the wellbeing of Arctic Indigenous people, was suspended after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. That makes it harder to ensure human security. 

A military threat to Canada from Russia would be most likely if the war escalates to include NATO members in direct conflict. A military strike could be used as direct retaliation against Canada, or the explicit threat of one could be used to try to influence Canadian foreign policy in Ukraine. Canada cooperates with the United States to secure the Arctic through NORAD, but there are some questions about whether the existing defences are sufficient to protect North America.  

Does our relationship with the USA help our security?

Canada benefits from its partnership with the United States for its defences against threats from outside of North America, for example, through NORAD and responding to environmental catastrophes that might cross borders. In this sense, North American security is indivisible. If Canada doesn’t have a strong security relationship with the United States, it can lose influence at the table where the future of its own defence is decided.

Recently we’ve seen calls from populist American politicians for the liberation of Canada. Should that concern us?

An invasion by American government forces is not something that keeps me up at night. We would have very strong signals—probably over a long period—about the deterioration of Canada-US relations, and it would probably be accompanied by big global shifts like the dissolution of NATO. In the short term, the invasion of Ukraine might trigger a renewed strength in NATO as its members seek to shore up defences of member states in Europe. 

But this rhetoric is dangerous nonetheless because it sends a signal to extremists in both countries who might use the rhetoric as an excuse to commit violence in both countries in the name of ‘liberation’, as we saw in the January 2021 attacks on the US Capitol, or the trucker convoy occupation of Ottawa. We know that Russia has sought to use misinformation to exploit social divisions in Canada and the United States to influence elections. So, right-wing extremism in North America and Russian rhetoric of liberation and national greatness are not so disconnected. 

Why do you think this invasion has captured our attention? Given our relational similarities, do Canadians see themselves in Ukrainians?

There are many reasons why Canadians feel an affinity for Ukrainians in this situation. Canada has the largest population of Ukrainians outside of Ukraine and Russia. Ukrainian food and culture are mainstream in many parts of the country. Our Deputy Prime Minister, Chrystia Freeland, is a Ukrainian-Canadian with a dissident past who can reassure Ukrainians of Canadian support in Ukrainian and tell off Russia in Russian. Those are powerful links. But it’s impossible to deny the racism that has underpinned calls for support of Ukraine, suggesting that Ukrainians deserve support because they are white Europeans. 

Acknowledging that racism doesn’t take away from Ukrainian suffering or calls to Canadian action. But it should remind us that war and violence happen around the world and that there are non-white Canadians who are noticing the big and emotional response this time and feeling like more could have been done to help their families when they fled violence. Politics will always shape how the Canadian government responds to any crisis or conflict. But there are tools that are becoming standard practice in a crisis like this—such as creating a hotline, waiving visa requirements, expediting refugee processes, and matching donations—that should be developed and institutionalized so that they can be implemented quickly in response to need, rather than to emotion. 

Veronica M. Kitchen is an Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Waterloo and in the Balsillie School of International Affairs. Her research is primarily on national security in a Canadian context, from the perspective of critical and feminist security studies.

AHS building code changing to EXP in Quest this week

A message from the Faculty of Health.

Quest and the Schedule of Classes have been updated this week to reflect the change in name from what was known as the AHS Expansion building (AHS) to what is now the Health Expansion building (EXP). Students and instructors can expect to see that update on these systems, and there is temporary signage on the building’s doors in case there is confusion.

The change is taking place now so that Quest and the Schedule of Classes are accurate for the spring term. It follows the overall Faculty name change last year from Applied Health Sciences to the Faculty of Health, which was one of the recommendations that came out of the Faculty’s 2020-25 Strategic Plan.

Homelessness research "mash up" event coming later this month

A message from Community Relations and Events.

Mid-sized communities (including the Waterloo Region, London, and Hamilton) are experiencing new pressures related to the needs of individuals and families. The urgency of these issues has been underscored by the impacts of the pandemic. Altogether, this represents critical new opportunities for community-based research. The University of Waterloo is partnering with the Region of Waterloo to ignite and invest in new research initiatives related to these urgent and emergent issues identified by our community.

An interdisciplinary mash-up will be held on March 24, 2022 where interested researchers and grad students from all faculties across the University can learn more about the opportunity, speak with Region of Waterloo and not-for-profit stakeholders, and engage in break-out discussions on the three thematic areas to spark collaboration and connection, leading to applications for funding.

Following the event, participants will have six weeks to complete an application that will be reviewed by UW and the Region of Waterloo, and two projects will be selected to receive $25,000 each. Starting in August 2022, research projects will run for one year, culminating in a report, including policy recommendations for the Region of Waterloo, as well as a 2023 Knowledge Mobilization event with stakeholders. Interdisciplinary collaboration is encouraged but not required.

Research will address one or more of the following thematic areas, focusing geographically on Waterloo Region:

1. Perceptions of currently unhoused population
2. Alternative options for currently unhoused individuals in Waterloo Region
3. Prevention of youth homelessness

Register for the mash-up session

Registration for the March 24, 2022 mash up is required, and an online link will be provided to you in advance.  Register here by March 14.  For further information, please contact Kelly McManus, Senior Director, Community Relations & Events.

Grab a virtual slice at the Annual Dean's Lecture on Pi Day

Celebrate Pi Day on Monday, March 14 with an exclusive update and conversation about how the University of Waterloo is positioning itself to play an important role in meeting the world's current and future health challenges with Dean of the Faculty of Mathematics Mark Giesbrecht. The event will be held on Monday at 8:00 a.m. ET to take into account the time difference.

The Dean will showcase the vision for the Faculty and its commitment to Waterloo's international alumni, especially those in Hong Kong and the surrounding area.

“Mathematics that cure us”, a lecture exploring the roles mathematics can play in drug discovery and development and in our ongoing health will be delivered by Dr. Anita Layton, Canada 150 Research Chair in Mathematical Biology and Medicine, and Professor of Applied Mathematics, Computer Science, Pharmacy and Biology at the University of Waterloo.

"SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, was first identified in December 2019," says the talk's abstract. "By December 11, 2020, the Pfizer vaccine became the first to receive emergency use authorization from the Food and Drug Administration. Creating a vaccine in under a year is no small feat. While the coronavirus pandemic made a new normal of mask-wearing and physical distancing, it showcased the crucial role of vaccine research. What roles can mathematics play in drug discovery and development—and in keeping us healthy?"

Follow along on social media with #DeansLectureHK.

Register for Monday's event

Pi Day is traditionally celebrated at Waterloo beginning at 1:59 p.m. and concluding at 3:59 p.m. Keep tabs on the Pi Day countdown online and grab yourself some pie to join in the virtual celebration.

Friday's notes

The Writing and Communication Centre is excited to announce the return of in-person appointments. "Beginning on March 14, when booking your appointment with us, you have the option to choose an in-person or a virtual appointment with most advisors," says a note from the WCC. "Please note that some advisors are continuing with virtual appointments only." More information is available on the WCC website.

The Concept $5K semi-finals are fast approaching. The Concept $5K pitch competition offers the opportunity for University of Waterloo student led teams with innovative solutions and high potential business ideas to showcase their hard work and compete for grant funding. The two semi-final events are scheduled as follows:

• Night 1, March 16: https://concept.uwaterloo.ca/event/concept-5k-semi-finals/
• Night 2, March 17: https://concept.uwaterloo.ca/event/2022-03-17/

More information is available on the Concept website. This term's Concept Finals are scheduled to take place on March 31.