United Kingdom

Canada and the United Kingdom have a profound and positive relationship, proudly continuing a long tradition of strategic and commercial partnerships. The UK is Canada’s most important commercial partner in Europe and our fifth largest globally. In 2019, two way merchandise trade in between the two countries reached CAD $29.04 billion leading to strong partnerships in science, technology and innovation.

There are many common links between Canadian and UK researchers, universities, funding agencies, commercialization groups, and companies. The research priorities of both countries focus on large, collaborative, interdisciplinary programs that meet global societal and economic challenges. These programs include ageing, climate change, science/green technologies, energy, and food and water security. Other priority areas for collaboration include medical research, aerospace and defence, ocean technologies, nanotechnology, and polar science. 

Canada and the UK are supporting people around the world who are seeking to build inclusive and stable societies, underpinned by democracy and human rights and striving to meet the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDG). We work together promoting global efforts to ensure strong, sustainable and balanced growth, sound fiscal management, healthy financial sectors and regulatory systems, and open markets.  

University of Bristol

The University of Bristol (UoB) is consistently ranked as one of the 10 best universities in the UK, and within the top 50 schools worldwide. UoB and UW were founded on similar principles with well aligned research focuses – our two institutions share key objectives, a similar vision and enjoy a reputation for academic excellence. This includes our complementary research strengths to find innovative solutions for global challenges, and dedication to the highest-quality student educational experience.

Bristol and Waterloo share similar objectives in the priority areas of nanotechnology and quantum information research with groups specializing in: nanophysics and soft matter, functional nanomaterials, bionanoscience and biomedical nanotechnology, nano- and quantum-photonics, and quantum information.

Since June 2015, three workshops and strategic meetings have been held with faculty members and researchers for discovery and collaboration, and WIN has hosted PhD students from the Bristol Centre for Functional Nanomaterials for graduate training programs and a student mini-symposium.

In June 2017, the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for Educational and Scientific Cooperation between University of Waterloo (Canada) and University of Bristol (UK) was signed at the University of Waterloo. The main objective of the MoU is to allow opportunities to further explore possibilities for cooperation in training and research in Science and Engineering, highlighting the areas of nano- and quantum science and technology, as well as develop a strong joint-graduate student training and research program.

Interested in learning more? Contact Lisa Pokrajac.

UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and Canada Globalink Doctoral Exchange Program: https://www.ukri.org/research/international/international-funding-opportunities/uk-canada-globalink-doctoral-exchange-scheme/

University of Cambridge

The WIN-Cambridge Research Collaboration started in December 2012, when an agreement was signed documenting the mutual interest of both WIN and the University of Cambridge’s (UoC) Electrical Engineering Division. Since this time the two sides have been committed to advancing research, entrepreneurship and innovation in Nanotechnology.

A workshop in Advanced Nanomaterials for Energy and Healthcare applications was held at the UoC in July 2016. A delegation of 10 WIN faculty members met with leading Cambridge researchers in nanomaterials development for a 2-day event at the Cambridge Centre for Advanced Photonics and Electronics (CAPE). The workshop was opened by Sir Mark Welland, and the WIN team was welcomed by Professors Arokia Nathan and William Milne from the Electrical Engineering Department at UoC.

One of the most significant achievements of this workshop was the establishment of WIN’s contact with Sir Mark Welland, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Master of St Catharine’s College, and Director of the Maxwell Centre at the University of Cambridge. Prior to this, Sir Welland was Chief Scientific Advisor to the UK Government Ministry of Defence (2008-2012). We are very fortunate to have Sir Welland join WIN’s International Scientific Advisory Board (ISAB) in 2018 to provide high-level strategic scientific advice and direction and to assist in WIN’s directive to become a global leader in nanotechnology and its applications.

Sir Welland visited WIN in June 2019 for strategic ISAB meeting, providing valuable counsel and advice to promote nanotechnology research and innovation and how WIN specifically can set and meet targets to achieve its mission. We look forward to his participation for the next ISAB meeting planned for 2021. Sir Welland also participated in the 2nd International Frontiers in Nanoscience & Nanotechnology Symposium in June 2019 giving a WIN Distinguished Lecture titled, “Nanostructures in disease – pathology and treatment”.

Other Milestones Achieved and Continued Partnership-building Events:

  • Arokia Nathan from the University of Cambridge visited UW/WIN in March 2017 to participate in the WIN Distinguished Lecture Series and one-on-one meetings with WIN members pursing joint research projects with Cambridge faculty (during his visit, Professor Nathan spoke extensively with members of the Karanassios group and other prominent nanotechnology researchers at WIN)

  • Juewen Liu (UW/WIN) travelled to the University of Cambridge in January 2018 as a guest lecturer in their series in Biotechnology and Biomedical Engineering where he met with esteemed bioengineering and chemistry faculty at the University of Cambridge