Current students

The rapid evolution of digital health holds immense potential to transform patient care and improve global health outcomes. Building disruptive technologies is at the core of what we do, and since our inception, the University of Waterloo has been harnessing our expertise in health, technology and entrepreneurship and collaborating with partners to commercialize health-care solutions for real-world impact.

The increasing integration of cars with advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) means fully autonomous vehicles (AVs) will likely be a reality by 2050, if not sooner. These self-driving vehicles will not just operate with minimal human intervention, they will make “decisions” to adapt and react to changing situations on the road. Human drivers will literally take a back seat. 

Canada is home to some of the best innovators in the world.

Many founders find it challenging in the early stages of their business due to limited access to non-dilutive funding. Here enters Velocity — the centre of entrepreneurship at the University of Waterloo — with a solution to the problem since 2008.  

Students often dream of working in another country where they can explore a new culture while growing their skills. However, salaries for co-op positions abroad may not cover the costs of flights and housing, making these roles inaccessible for some students. 

Fortunately, Waterloo donors recognize the value of a work term abroad. Through gifts of all sizes, they are helping more students access international and non-profit opportunities they might not otherwise consider. The resulting co-op experiences can transform the lives of both students and the communities they work in.

Twelve senior student teams from the Faculty of Engineering competed in this year’s Norman Esch Entrepreneurship Awards for Capstone Design, pitching their startup ideas to a panel of judges who awarded over $100,000 across all 12 teams.    

Each team delivered a three-minute business pitch to showcase their entrepreneurial and innovative approach to solving a real-world problem. These solutions ranged from a device that improves sleep quality and cognitive functioning in children with epilepsy, to a highly porous material that can improve oil spill cleanups. 

Dr. Mikal Skuterud
Professor, Economics
> Director, Canadian Labour Economics Forum

Dr. Mikal Skuterud became interested in labour markets in high school while working in a large warehouse alongside many recent migrants to Canada. During his undergraduate degree in labour studies, Skuterud took several economic theory courses, which confirmed he was on the right career path.

A new collaboration between the University of Waterloo and the City of Iqaluit is allowing students to apply their skills to real-world challenges — all while making a tangible difference in the North.

The partnership was possible through i-Capstone — the University of Waterloo’s first interdisciplinary undergraduate capstone program. Designed to unite students from every faculty, i-Capstone enables students to tackle complex problems facing Canadian communities — like sustainable housing, infrastructure and integrated urban planning — all for academic credit.

Before Velocity became the centre of entrepreneurship at the University of Waterloo, it was a group of innovative students living in the Waterloo dorm life and hosting weekly meetups at Minota Hagey, also known as Velocity residence. Today, thousands of students from all backgrounds take part in Velocity’s experiential entrepreneurship learning program.