Global Impact

Waterloo Engineering proudly hosted the inaugural conference this week for a fellowship program that was created to boost representation of Black and Indigenous scholars in engineering and technology disciplines.

The two-day event brought together IBET Momentum fellows and faculty members from partner universities across Canada to meet in-person, present research and chart next steps

Dominic Barton, the University of Waterloo's 11th chancellor, has committed $1 million to support the next generation of talent at Waterloo.

Barton is a well-known leader in global business and a philanthropist, as well as a key supporter of the University.

“Dominic has created valuable opportunities for our researchers and students during his tenure as chancellor,” says Vivek Goel, president and vice-chancellor. “I’m deeply grateful for his ongoing support, and I’m delighted that he has built on his leadership with this meaningful gift.”

The challenges facing humanity are increasingly global in scale and require a more interdisciplinary and collaborative approach to uncovering solutions. It is why we work hard to build and foster international collaborations with institutions around the world. Recently, I travelled to Europe with Professor Ian Rowlands, Associate Vice-President, International, to deepen and expand connections with key partners.

St. Paul’s University College at the University of Waterloo announced the creation of the Michaëlle Jean Scholars in International Development.

Yesterday, many of us across Ontario exercised our democratic right to vote in the provincial election. It can be easy to take this simple, recurring action for granted, but in recent years we have been reminded just how precious this fundamental right is and the importance of our civic duties.

The University of Waterloo has once again placed in the top 100 universities in the world on the Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Rankings 2022. This year, Waterloo moves up 46 spots on the list to number 53.

Many view the first Earth Day as the beginning of the modern environmental movement. Sarah Burch, a professor at the University of Waterloo and Canada Research Chair in Sustainability Governance and Innovation, discusses its relevance more than 50 years on. She is the executive director of Waterloo's Interdisciplinary Centre on Climate Change and a lead author of the recently released report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the UN body that assesses the science related to our changing climate.  

I am delighted to introduce my first edition of the annual Global Impact Report. It has been inspiring to learn about the history of the University and its unconventional founding. Our institution was founded by local community leaders to meet the many challenges of the day and to propel the region, and our nation, forward.

Being unconventional has fostered a spirit of curiosity and taking risks — to not only generate new ideas through research excellence but convert those ideas to create something that has a positive impact on the world.