Wednesday, December 2, 2015

The University of Waterloo and Sorbonne Universités have inked a 5-year Memorandum of Understanding for educational and scientific cooperation. President Feridun Hamdullahpur and Thierry Tuot, president of the Sorbonne Universités, signed the MOU at a ceremony in Paris on Monday.

The agreement represents the two institutions' wish to explore possibilities for joint activities and co-operation in a number of areas of mutual expertise, including:

• All fields of transformational interdisciplinary research, including health engineering, bioengineering, integrated smart transportation, bio-economy, urban planning and digital arts;
• joint initiatives including the exchange of teaching and research documentation on entrepreneurship and innovation;
• the exchange of visiting faculty members for research, workshops, lectures and discussions between Waterloo and the Sorbonne Universités member institutions; and
• the exchange of visiting graduate students for non-credit study and research.

"To the extent feasible, the Institutions will encourage direct contact and cooperation between their faculty members, academic departments and research institutes for the purpose of engaging in Joint Activities," says the MOU.

Any joint activity will be subject to both institutions' review and approvals processes and should be implemented through signed agreements.

Both institutions will appoint a coordinator who will serve as the primary contact person for collaborative activities, help make the necessary arrangements for visits, and oversee the general welfare of visitors. At Waterloo the interim coordinator is Drew Knight, director, global research and strategic alliances, and at Sorbonne Universités the contact is Cornelia Marin, director of international affairs.

The non-binding MOU went into effect on November 30 and will be in force for five years. It may be renewed, extended or amended by written mutual agreement.

Sorbonne Universités, often referred to as The Sorbonne, is an alliance of 13 institutions formed in 1970 after the division of the former University of Paris, which has its origins in the 12^th century. 

In 2014, President Hamdullahpur was appointed to the Sorbonne Universités Strategy Committee, which assists the Sorbonne in developing as a highly innovative institution at the heart of Europe’s research and innovation agenda. Hamdullahpur was attending a strategy committee meeting in Paris at the time of the MOU signing.

UW Police partner with Family Violence Project

The University of Waterloo Police has partnered with Waterloo Regional Police Services to distribute educational pamphlets and posters around campus for the Family Violence Project of Waterloo Region. The Family Violence Project of Waterloo Region is a collaboration of agencies that provides services to victims of abuse in all its forms from a centralized location.

Highly trained professional and compassionate staff will connect victims with a person they can trust who will guide them through a number of services in a caring and supportive environment. The pamphlets include tear-off slips with contact information for the Family Violence Project of Waterloo Region.

Look for the posters and pamphlets in high-traffic areas on the Waterloo campus.

Bibliometrics working group presents white paper today

The Working Group on Bibliometrics has developed a white paper meant to educate and create common understanding on the appropriate use and limitations of bibliometrics, and has scheduled an open meeting to discuss the white paper today at 2:00 p.m. in EIT 3142.

What is bibliometrics, you may ask? It’s an area that focuses on ways to quantify research output, with publications and citations being just two examples. Bibliometric measures are a tool that can be used to understand elements of research productivity and impact.

The paper outlines commonly-used bibliometric measures and recommends best practices for analysis at the University. 

The current Chair of the Working Group on Bibliometrics, Tamer Özsu, will present the paper, which has been undergoing broad consultation across campus.

Thoughts and feedback from the University community are a vital part of the process, so please consider attending today’s meeting if bibliometrics is a matter close to your heart. If you would prefer to send your feedback via e-mail, send a message to iap-bibl@uwaterloo.ca.

Remembering Reginald Moore and other notes

Human Resources has reported that retired professor Reginald Moore died on October 27. Professor Moore began his career at Waterloo in September 1966 as an associate professor in the physics department. His areas of research specialization included theoretical solid state physics, the theory of metals, atomic physics and relativistic calculations.

He received tenure in April 1969 and the rank of Professor in July 1983. He retired in March 2000. Moore is survived by his wife, Shirley.

The Registrar’s Office and Student Awards & Financial Aid will be closed from 11:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, December 3 for a holiday event. The drop box outside the office will still be available. "Our apologies for any inconvenience this may cause," says a note from the Registrar's Office.

"The Water Institute is pleased to host a retirement reception for our Executive Director, Bob Gillham, on Thursday December 17 from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. in the EIT Atrium," says a note from the Water Institute.

Gillham has served as Executive Director of the Water Institute since January 2012 and is also a Distinguished Professor Emeritus from the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, having retired initially from Waterloo as a Professor in that department in 2006.

Please RSVP to Mary Anne Hardy, ext. 32658 or mahardy@uwaterloo.ca.

For those of you who are hanging onto your old smartphones, IST would like to remind you that as of January 1, 2016, they will no longer provide support for BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES) 5 devices (BlackBerry Bold, Torch or Curve) or software versions 5.0. 6.0 and 7.0, and the service will be discontinued.