News

A message from Charmaine Dean, Vice-President, Research and International.

This memo reiterates the University’s processes for international travel including risk mitigation measures, security measures to protect your data and research, and provides recent updates to Government of Canada advice for travel to the United States. 

It is important to note that these updates are reminders of what has always been the case with respect to international travel to any jurisdiction. 

On November 21st,  Waterloo International hosted a one-day conference focused on mapping out Canada's opportunities in the Indo-Pacific region in emerging and disruptive technology sectors. More than a dozen scholars, experts,  and industry leaders gathered in panels to discuss three critical areas: international opportunities in innovation, mapping complementarities to Canadian Innovation and developing a talent pipeline.  

Mariak Achuoth’s journey from a Kenyan refugee camp to the University of Waterloo’s Faculty of Engineering highlights the transformative power of education through programs like the WUSC Student Refugee Program. In partnership with Waterloo International, United College and the Waterloo Undergraduate Student Association, the program supports student refugees looking to achieve their dreams through higher education.

The University of Waterloo hosted a welcome reception for fifteen new Indonesian students on Thursday, September 26th, as part of the Indonesian International Student Mobility Awards (IISMA). IISMA is a scholarship program by the Government of the Republic of Indonesia to fund top achieving Indonesian students an opportunity to study at a high-ranking international partner university. It is the fourth year Waterloo has welcomed students from the program.

In June, the Faculty of Environment formalized its partnership with the University of Cape Coast (UCC) in Ghana to strengthen their connection and focus on key areas of collaboration including academic programs, joint teaching and research activities and mobility of faculty, staff and students.  

Read more about the partnership.

The University of Twente, located in the Netherlands, and University of Waterloo signed their first Research Agreement in 2016, but have been collaborating since 2007 when Twente visited Waterloo to kick-start relations. Since that development, with the support of a presidential visit in 2022, our partnership has effectively collaborated in the areas of bioengineering & biotechnology, health, and nanotechnology – with an interest in expanding into water. Waterloo International has been thrilled to steward the Twente/Waterloo Strategic Collaboration Grants (SCG) with our colleagues at Twente.

I recently finished a superb first-ever trip to Vietnam, which was literally ‘years in the making.’ Of course, people across campus have connected with individuals in Vietnam for years, but Waterloo International has taken relatively little proactive action in Vietnam in recent years. In 2021, however, that began to change.

On 7 November 2023, the University of Waterloo hosted valued partner the University of Strathclyde for a senior leadership visit.

The incoming delegation, led by Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Sir Jim McDonald, consisted of Deans from three of Strathclyde’s Faculties, as well as leadership from internationalization, commercialization, and secretary parts of the university.

I had an excellent trip to East Asia last week, where I had the opportunity to meet with university leaders, government officials, and others in both Japan and South Korea. It is clear to me that the University of Waterloo is well-positioned to grow meaningful engagement with East Asian partners across a range of research, innovation, learning, and community activities for impact.

I have just completed a superb visit to Indonesia on behalf of the University of Waterloo.  My second trip to Indonesia, it was an opportunity to deepen existing connections and to make new ones too. Waterloo has been active with Indonesian partners for decades. Led by the Faculties of Environment and Mathematics, collaborations around sustainable development and actuarial science have served to advance understanding, learning, training, and well-being.