On July 19th, the University of Waterloo community came together to support seven finalist teams as they pitched their business ideas for a chance at one of four $5,000 grants, and one $500 grant for People’s Choice Award.
Unzila Shahzad, a University of Waterloo co-op student, recently wrote and published her own children’s book following a work term at SickKids Hospital. Shahzad’s book, Haseeb and Teddy: From Magic Boots to Magical Feet, adds a touch of magic to empower children with clubfoot while shedding light on the congenital condition. Clubfoot is present at birth which causes an infant’s foot to turn inward or downward because of a shortened Achilles tendon.
Dozens of Velocity founders showcased their innovative businesses and technologies to a global audience at the recent Collision conference in Toronto.
The tech conference brings together investors, government and major brands, while giving startups global networking and business-building opportunities.
From Gen Z to baby boomers, workspaces in Canada now span across four generations. Students engaging in work-integrated learning (WIL) and their employers need to learn from each other and how to effectively work together. As part of the World Association of Co-operative Education (WACE) 2023 World Conference hosted at the University of Waterloo, international leaders in industry, government and academia to share their collective wisdom on cultivating two-way learning opportunities.
Autonomous airline Ribbit has signed a $1.3 million contract with Transport Canada to start testing its commercial cargo aircraft to deliver goods to northern Canada, starting in 2024.
“Ribbit ultimately exists to help improve access to transportation,” said Jeremy Wang (PhD ’23), co-founder and COO. "Our dream would be a future where anybody can receive goods quickly and reliably no matter where they are located.”
Wang said the company’s initial goal is to serve northern Canada, where about 120 million pounds of food gets delivered annually.
WatSPEED, the University of Waterloo’s corporate and executive education arm, will host a one-day forum for senior business leaders focused on how to stand out in the ever-evolving world of technology and business.
Just months ago, an international team of four that includes Cheriton School of Computer Science professor Dr. Craig Kaplan discovered a single shape that tiles the plane — an infinite, two-dimensional surface — in a pattern that can never be made to repeat.
The discovery mesmerized mathematicians, tiling enthusiasts and the public alike.
The shape, a 13-sided polygon they called “the hat,” is known to mathematicians as an aperiodic monotile or an “einstein,” the German words that mean “one stone.”
Building ethical technology is “not a destination, it’s a journey,” said Jennifer Boger, professor in the Faculty of Engineering and chief science officer at ESG.AI.
As tech evolves, so must our approach to its responsible development. But the increasing complexity and speed of innovation make it feel impossible to keep up.
In a wide ranging and thought-provoking conversation, former Governor General and University of Waterloo President Emeritus David Johnston joined current President Vivek Goel to discuss how the workforce of the future can turn compassion into action. The fireside chat, part of the World Association of Co-operative Education (WACE) 2023 World Conference hosted at Waterloo, used Johnston’s new book “Empathy” as a starting point.
“Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past eight months, you’ve heard about ChatGPT,” said Jimmy Lin, professor and Cheriton chair in the David R. Cheriton School of Computer Science at the University of Waterloo.
“It is the fastest growing consumer application in history reaching more than 100 million active users in less than two months. For reference, it took Tik Tok a whole nine months and Instagram two and a half years to reach the same threshold.”