WATERLOO, Ont. (Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2012) - The innovative work of some the University of Waterloo’s top scientists is on an international stage at one of the most widely recognized science events in the world.
Leading Waterloo researchers will share their expertise and the results of their work at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Annual Meeting that runs until Feb. 20 in Vancouver. Researchers, journalists, students and policy-makers from nearly 60 countries attend.
“Scientific discoveries have helped us overcome some of the greatest obstacles to the advancement of our civilization,” said Feridun Hamdullahpur, president & vice-chancellor of Waterloo. “The presence of so many Waterloo experts here shows that we have outstanding talent and indicates our ability to address the important challenges facing the world.”
Two Canada Excellence Research Chairs from the university will give lectures in advance of the meeting. David Cory, from Waterloo’s Institute for Quantum Computing (IQC) and Canada Excellence Research Chair in Quantum Information Processing, will present today, as will Philippe Van Cappellen, Canada Excellence Research Chair in Ecohydrology from Waterloo’s Faculty of Science.
IQC director Raymond Laflamme will give a talk called The State of Quantum Computing in Canada. He will also deliver a lecture entitled Quantum Information Science and Technology: A Global Perspective as part of the meeting on Saturday. Laflamme will receive the distinguished AAAS fellowship as well. Awarded in five program areas, the fellowships engage scientists and engineers in policy-making.
On Sunday, Thomas Jennewein of the IQC will participate in a panel discussion called Quantum Information Technologies: A New Era for Global Communication. Laflamme will moderate.
Earlier that day, Hamdullahpur, who is also board vice-chair of the Waterloo GlobalScience Initiative (WGSI), will introduce the launch of the Equinox Blueprint: Energy 2030. Jatin Nathwani, executive director of the Waterloo Institute for Sustainable Energy and an Ontario Research Chair, and Jason Blackstock, senior fellow at the Centre for International Governance, will be part of a panel presenting the recommendations of the Equinox Blueprint. It’s based on a multinational, interdisciplinary collaboration in June 2011 that brought together pioneering scientists, policy advisors, entrepreneurs and future leaders. The recommendations offer real-world strategies for a lower carbon energy future, based on the latest thinking.
WGSI is a partnership between the University of Waterloo and the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics. This report comes out of the first international gathering. WGSI intends to hold similar gatherings every two years on diverse topics, and continue to build on these new ideas to make them a reality.
About the University of Waterloo
In just half a century, the University of Waterloo, located at the heart of Canada's Technology Triangle, has become one of Canada's leading comprehensive universities with 34,000 full- and part-time students in undergraduate and graduate programs. Waterloo, as home to the world's largest post-secondary co-operative education program, embraces its connections to the world and encourages enterprising partnerships in learning, research and discovery. In the next decade, the university is committed to building a better future for Canada and the world by championing innovation and collaboration to create solutions relevant to the needs of today and tomorrow. For more information about Waterloo, visit www.uwaterloo.ca.
Waterloo news release no. 14 Media Contact: Pamela Smyth, Media Relations Officer University of Waterloo 519.888.4777 psmyth@uwaterloo.ca> http://www.newsrelease.uwaterloo.ca<http://www.newsrelease.uwaterloo.ca/> Pamela Smyth Media Relations Officer Communications and Public Affairs University of Waterloo 200 University Avenue, West Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1 519.888.4777 psmyth@uwaterloo.ca> [cid:65FC3F4D-B6C5-46A0-AF31-D2F91BC6840B]
