News

Professor. Ghaddar (Management Sciences) gave a keynote talk on “Polynomial optimization in power and water network operations”. She discussed several challenging optimization problems in power and water networks involving both operational decisions and non-linear models of the underlying physics described by the network. However, these networks exhibit a nice sparse structure. This talk provided an overview of approaches that combined recent advances in conic relaxation of polynomial optimization problems along with exploiting the underlying problem. These approaches were demonstrated in applications arising in power and water networks.

Professor Li (Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering) gave a talk on “Development of advanced MEAs for next-generation PEM fuel cells”.

This workshop was held in collaboration with the School of Mechanical Engineering, University of Tehran and the Engineering Skills Development Centre (ESDC).

Professor Nazar (Chemistry) participated as a panelist along with a number of acclaimed scholars to discuss the current and future developments in the electrochemical energy and battery sector.

The forum fostered discussions on the next-generation batteries as well as the lithium-ion battery cells. The demand for the next-generation batteries has been on a steady rise because of its key features of light weight and greater energy density. Lithium-ion batteries are widely being used as the power source for electric vehicles around the world. The open forum invited the public into the discussion on the newest trends, product developments and solutions.

Prof. Rowlands (School of Environment, Resources and Sustainability) attended COP25. About 27,000 delegates participated at the conference under the Presidency of the Government of Chile and it was held with logistical support from the Government of Spain.

The summit showcased breakthroughs in green innovation and technology, and explored how cleantech can drive economic growth while ensuring our planet’s future. Business leaders, entrepreneurs and academics came together virtually to discuss the possibilities for a greener economic recovery. The Waterloo Innovation Summit explored the business case for climate capitalism and illuminated the imperative to balance sustainable financial growth with sustainable environmental impact. As we all look for solutions to recover from a global pandemic and a climate in crisis, we asked speakers how we can seize this crisis as an opportunity to rethink our priorities and redesign the global economy, cities and job markets.

Prof. Weber and Prof. Craik (School of Environment, Enterprise and Development) were invited speakers who talked about the role of government policies and investment banking to address the challenges of clean economy.

The theme of this conference was "Hydrogen, Sustainability and Finance: Local Roles for Global Goals”. This event explored the entire suite of clean hydrogen applications as part of a broader effort to reduce carbon emissions and address climate change. The focus was on the emergent and self-sustaining Canadian community of end users, product suppliers, project developers, system integrators, and supporting infrastructure. The emphasis was to discuss strategies to achieve some serious reductions in CO2 emissions and make economical use of off-peak ‘surplus’ power that is derived from low or zero emission sources to make ‘green’ hydrogen.

Prof. Fowler (Chemical Engineering) and Prof. Fraser (Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering) was invited as guest speaker to give a talk on new hydrogen generation and commercialization technologies and the support of hydrogen deployment.

The Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology (WIN) hosted the “International Workshop on Nanotechnology for a Sustainable Future”. This virtual workshop brought together world leaders in nanotechnology to address current global issues, to meet United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDG) in nanotechnology and society, policy and science diplomacy, industry and innovation, energy and environment, devices for healthcare and communications, and resource management and the circular economy.

Prof. Nathwani (Executive Director, WISE) and Prof. Nazar (Chemistry) participated as guest speaker. Prof. Nathwani discussed the unique challenges of a global energy transition to a clean energy future, whereas Prof. Nazar talked about the complexities of electrochemical energy storage at the nanoscale.

It was jointly held by University of Strathclyde and University of Waterloo. The principal of University of Strathclyde and president of University of Waterloo, Sir Jim McDonald and Dr. Feridun Hamdullahpur, invited paper/abstract submissions for the first virtual research colloquium. The colloquium was for graduate students at any stage in their journey. The colloquium provided an interactive space for graduate students from each university to present to international scholars in the field. Graduate students received constructive feedback from international scholars, and offered an opportunity to be part of international research clusters that enhance research collaborations between the two institutes. Both presidents have committed to the possibility of funding post-doctoral fellowship opportunities to keep collaborations going. The research areas included: Sustainable energy, quantum technologies, nuclear engineering, digital health, and entrepreneurship.

The Balsillie School of International Affairs, in partnership with the Ditchley Foundation, created the first in a three-part series of ‘Critical Conversations’. This ‘Critical Conversations’ series serves as a forum which brings global thought leaders together to bridge important perspectives on intersectional issues currently challenging global world policy. This inaugural event was entitled “Building Resilient Futures: Covid, Climate and the Economy” - a discussion on possible measures to shape a future for global resilience that is economically sustainable and capable of meeting the twin threats of climate stress and the health burdens of COVID-19.

Prof. Nathwani (Executive Director, WISE) moderated a panel consisting of three speakers: (1) Diana Fox-Carney (Climate Policy Expert), (2) John Hancock (Senior Policy Adviser to the Director General, World Trade Organization), and (3) William White (Former Chairman of the OECD Economic and Development Review Committee, Head of the Monetary and Economic Department at the Bank for International Settlements, and Deputy Governor of the Bank of Canada). The dialogue at the event was based on three key themes that guided the sessions of the day: Bankability and Finance, International Competitiveness, and Climate Legitimacy. Each session had a thematic speaker who gave an overview of the topic and the key issues, a panel that discussed the topic and offered diverse perspectives and a pathway to an outcome, where roundtable participants discussed the topic in a workshop format and provided recommendations.

COVID-19 has shaken the world, challenging societies and altering life as we know it. But from this crisis, opportunities have emerged calling us to action as we prepare to reboot from the COVID-19 lockdown. In this series of six free, weekly, online panels, experts from the University of Waterloo and representatives from some of Canada's leading companies will share their research, real-world expertise, and experience to help identify the risks and plot the future of adapting to this new normal.

Prof. Nathwani (Executive Director, WISE) and Prof. Olaf Weber (School of Environment, Enterprise and Development) looked at restarting, rebuilding, and reimagining both local and global supply chains. Through a lens of environmental and social sustainability, they discussed changes in governance, the rise of populism, and cost vs. other drivers in building, or rebuilding, supply chains.