Project Goals/Deliverables
Launch of a cross-faculty program prototype ready for expansion into a micro-certificate or option.
Creation of two fully designed experiential learning labs: Environmental Sensor Cybersecurity Lab and Data Governance and Rights Lab.
Development of two new GenAI-aware assessment models (environmental data breach simulation; cyber-physical incident response).
Evidence-based evaluation demonstrating improved student competence in AI and data governance, cybersecurity, environmental literacy, as well as risks- and rights-based governance mechanisms.
A scalable teaching toolkit (course syllabus, labs assignments, assessments, governance frameworks).
Strengthened interdisciplinary collaborations across UW faculties.
Project Team
Florian Kerschbaum, Professor, Cheriton School of Computer Science
Daniel Gorman, Professor, Department of History
Jatin Nathwani, Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Maral Niazi, PhD Candidate, Balsillie School of International Affairs
Cindy Oh, Undergraduate Educational Research Coordinator, Teaching Innovation Incubator
Lucas Allan, Undergraduate Educational Research Coordinator, Teaching Innovation Incubator
Connect with the Data, Society, and Planetary Futures team!
Inquiries about this project can be directed to tii@uwaterloo.ca
Project Summary
This project pilots a cross-faculty academic program prototype and human-technology experiential lab that addresses one of the most urgent global challenges: the governance, security, and societal impacts of environmental sensor networks. These cyber-physical infrastructures use AI advancements to underpin environmental monitoring, planetary stewardship, and public safety.
Through a Human-Tech Lab, students will engage directly with real-world environmental datasets, cyber-physical sensor systems, and global governance frameworks. Students examine how data collection, integrity, security, and rights intersect with environmental decision-making and public safety. They explore case studies involving compromised water infrastructure, manipulated pollution data, hacked climate sensors, and inequitable governance of ecological data across borders. These labs will integrate GenAI tools to support simulation analysis, policy critique, and the generation of alternative scenarios. Central to this program is the adoption of AI-driven learning environments where the technology is used as an active analytical tool within the learning process.
Proposed Project Impact
The proposed project offers an interdisciplinary course titled “AI, Cybersecurity, and Planetary Governance.” Co-designed and co-taught by faculty from Computer Science, Social Science and Governance, and Environment, the course will weave together technical foundations of AI security, environmental sensor integrity, and societal governance frameworks. Students will receive joint instruction from multiple faculties in the same classroom, engaging in cyber-incident simulations, rights-based policy design, and AI assisted environmental risk analysis. The purpose of the design of this course is to create a blueprint for future cross-interdisciplinary offerings and to showcase the transformative role of AI in teaching and learning.
By integrating AI as a cognitive partner, this project aims to expand students’ cross-disciplinary capacity and sharpen their critical thinking ability in the digital age, particularly in specific cases, such as when comparing human and machine interpretations of cyber-physical system failures. This level of embedding AI into the teaching and learning process is unprecedented at UW; as a result, as a leading model, this program will set a precedent for next-generation teaching within Canada and internationally.
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