Talent

Canada’s largest student-led hackathon returned to the University of Waterloo for its annual weekend of intense innovation. More than 1000 student hackers from around the world gathered at the Faculty of Engineering to experience 36 hours of fast builds and fun games. 

In keeping with the Hack the North motto, Dream Big and Build, this year’s student organizing team added exciting new elements to pull people together and encourage more play. These included the inaugural Waterloo Tech Week, Goose Games and an attempt to break a Guinness World Record which succeeded! 

An eclectic mix of 30 students joined forces at the University of Waterloo to participate in this year’s Sustainability and Social Entrepreneurship Fellowship (SSEF) program, hosted by the Pearl Sullivan Engineering Ideas Clinic and developed in partnership with Halton Region.  

The annual, nine-week program challenges students from Waterloo and abroad to explore ideas for improved urban development and present innovative solutions that address the impact of climate change and mitigate further environmental damage.    

Founders from the University of Waterloo raised more than $14 billion USD in venture capital, according to the latest 2025 rankings by PitchBook, a company that tracks global venture capital and private equity markets. Waterloo’s entrepreneurial ecosystem continues to make an impact locally and globally with more than 639 founders launching 527 companies.

Now playing across Canada, France, Switzerland, Argentina and Brazil, Grateful is Dr. Naila Keleta-Mae’s fourth full-length album. Produced just outside of Montreal, a city to which Keleta-Mae has deep creative ties, the ten-track album is an extension of her research-creation project Black And Free which explores themes of Blackness and freedom in the 21st century through Black expressive culture.

A new study from researchers at the Institute for Quantum Computing (IQC) at the University of Waterloo marks an important step in certifying Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) devices, crucial to enabling secure quantum communication technology. 

Heatwaves are an increasing threat in Canada, especially to vulnerable populations, including those with pre-existing health conditions, children, the elderly and those who lack the resources to beat the heat. Irfhana Zakir Hussain, a PhD candidate in the School of Public Health Sciences and Systems Design Engineering, is working to predict and map which Waterloo neighbourhoods are most at risk of harm during heatwaves using new and existing data.

As artificial intelligence (AI) continues to reshape the global economy, WatSPEED is helping Canadian business and technology leaders strategically position themselves for the future. 

Determined not to let her education be derailed, she built a new future in Canada — earning top grades, forging international research collaborations and producing award-winning work in sports analytics at the University of Waterloo.

Eight years ago, to celebrate Canada’s 150th anniversary, the Government of Canada invested $117 million to launch a new initiative aimed at enhancing Canada’s reputation as a global centre for science, research and innovation excellence. 

The Canada 150 (C150) Research Chairs program set out to attract top-tier internationally-based scholars and researchers to Canada – with two international researchers joining the University of Waterloo. 

The University of Waterloo is pleased to announce the appointment of Aaron Pereira as executive director of WatSPEED, the University’s professional, executive and corporate education arm.