We are not islands, either as individuals or as institutions. We reach higher, move further, achieve more when we become part of something greater than ourselves.
It is the underpinning of our co-operative education program, where students bring new ideas to industry and earn valuable experience that in turn makes them better employees. It is at the heart of the remarkable innovation ecosystem that has put this region on the global map for its thriving startup culture. And it is the catalyst for truly transformational research that takes place when conventional boundaries between disciplines and institutions are set aside in the pursuit of shared discovery.
Beyond ego or questions of personal reward, success in these areas is fueled by a desire to support a greater good. For researchers like Stuart McGill and Natalie Sidorkewicz, the greater good was finding ways to prevent back pain from standing in the way of healthy sexual relationships, a problem affecting almost 80 per cent of Canadians (Back Pain Killing Your Sex Life?). In the Waterloo Centre for Automotive Research, 125 researchers from a wide range of Faculties and disciplines work with each other and with all five Ontario automakers to develop vehicles that are smarter, safer and more environmentally sustainable (Driving Ambition).
For students in Waterloo’s aviation program, it’s about being part of a unique community of aspiring pilots, supporting each other through the long hours, hard work and personal sacrifice involved in simultaneously earning an undergraduate degree and a commercial pilot license (When the Sky is the Limit).
"Waterloo’s collaborative spirit will continue to manifest in a multitude of ways, from our expanding Waterloo Innovation Summit, which seeks to spark global conversations about growth and innovation, to research partnerships with leading Canadian and global institutions in areas including water management, quantum information science and nanotechnology."
As alumni or supporter of the University of Waterloo, you are already part of something more. By continuing to work together, there are no limits to what we can accomplish. Hire and inspire Waterloo co-op students or graduates, who in turn will build stronger industries. Mentor and support startups in the innovation ecosystem that bring global attention to this region. Support pure and applied research, with transformational potential.
Together we can change the world.
STACEY ASH, Editor
