Societal Futures

On May 11, University of Waterloo students were invited to participate in the GOODHack24 challenge held at Communitech in downtown Kitchener. The hackathon challenge offered a space for students to brainstorm, explore and develop innovative solutions at the intersection of open data, technology and local sustainable resources to support affected communities experiencing heat inequity.  

GOODHack24 was co-hosted by the City of Kitchener, Go Open Data (GOOD) and GreenHouse, a social incubator at United College. 

In collaboration with the Balsillie School of International Affairs, the University of Waterloo convened a dialogue on May 14, with academic and industry experts at the Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI), addressing the misinformation and disinformation crisis facing liberal democracies worldwide. The event delved into the escalating threat of disinformation and its profound implications for the future of democratic governance.

The Inter-Institutional Forum Scarborough Charter 2024 took place May 9 and 10 — bringing together scholars, leaders and advocates from signatories of the Scarborough Charter on anti-Black racism and Black inclusion for a dialogue on Black experiences, challenges and achievements within higher education.

Hosted jointly by the University of Waterloo and Wilfrid Laurier University, this two-day event was an amiable and energetic gathering of intellect, activism and community building.

More than 190 researchers, leaders and policymakers gathered for the second annual Quantum Connections Conference on May 1 and 2 at the Mike and Ophelia Lazaridis Quantum-Nano Centre. The conference built upon last year’s event with a focus on the potential impacts of quantum on business, government policy and security.

Dr. Norbert Lütkenhaus, executive director of IQC opened the conference by recognizing Canada's quantum community's global reputation and growth.

Simon Chan (BA ’98) spent years as a financial executive helping people plan and save enough to retire comfortably. But his exploration of the non-financial aspects of retirement revealed a gap in industry conversations and services, especially when addressing how people are living much longer lives.   

What is happiness, and why do we strive for it? Can we become happier? Should we? Is happiness a good thing? 

Dr. Megan McCarthy (PhD ’16)

I come from the community known as Neyaashiinigmiing, or the Chippewas of Nawash Unceded First Nation — also known as Cape Croker Indian Reserve. Located on the shores of Georgian Bay, it is now known as the Bruce Peninsula, or the Saugeen Peninsula to some of us. This place was very influential to me — it is a grounding place that has influenced my decision-making.   

We all have different ways of giving back, whether giving our time and skills or making a charitable donation. However, the reason is often the same — you want to help make a difference.  

Dr. Sara Konrath (BA ’02)

When I was in second-year engineering in Mexico, we had a course dedicated to the slide rule (there were no pocket calculators in those days). I had an innovative teacher, Dr. Leonardo Rapoport, who decided we needed to learn about computers. He managed to get machine time for us on an IBM 650, where I first learned about programming.  

In the 1960s, the University of Waterloo was already gaining international attention for its Computer Science program. I first learned of the University in the pages of the Journal of the Association for Computing Machinery.  

“Across sectors, whether you work in government, industry or academia, we need to rethink how we work,” said the University of Waterloo’s Chancellor Dominic Barton in his opening remarks at the Waterloo Innovation Summit on April 25.

The former head of McKinsey & Company elaborated that, “as I get older, I’m convinced that the changes we are seeing in the world today are truly historic.” Barton pointed to the economic power shifts playing out globally, as well as technological transformations and climate change that are fundamentally shaping the way we will live and work.