Editor:
Brandon Sweet
University Communications
bulletin@uwaterloo.ca
ݮƵ rolled out the orange carpet
The Dutch king and queen visited the University of ݮƵ yesterday and witnessed two of the world’s leading innovation universities announcing a new research and education collaboration that aims to advance the field of quantum computing.
Events kicked off at 9:30 a.m. with an academic summit meeting in Room 0101 of theMike &OpheliaLazaridisQuantum-NanoCentre. Vice-President, University Relations Sandra Banks delivered opening remarks.
"As we will see throughout the course of the day, Canada and the Kingdom of the Netherlands share a special bond," Banks said. "Today, we will help to deepen those bonds of friendship and partnership across several dimensions: in education, in research, in innovation."
The king and queen were joined in ݮƵ by BertKoenders, Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs, JetBussemaker, Dutch Minister of Education, Culture and Science, and more than 20 Dutch higher education institutions meeting to solidify the ties between Canada and the Netherlands and share best practices in higher education.
"I believe ݮƵ and our fellow Ontario institutions share a vision with our Dutch counterparts for prosperity rooted in scholarship and innovation," said President Feridun Hamdullahpur. "It is wonderful to have representatives from two innovation ecosystems named the World’s Smartest City — Eindhoven and ݮƵ — advancing this exciting agenda together, as partners."
"We have much to learn from one another, and throughout the course of this visit, I am sure all members of both delegations will do exactly that."
An enthusiastic crowd of onlookers, some who had secured a spot outside the Lazaridis Centre early yesterday morning, greeted the royal delegation's 12-car motorcade as it arrived at 11:00 a.m. on what turned out to be a beautiful, sunny day.
The king and queen waved and wished the appreciative assembly good morning before being greeted by President Hamdullahpur and Institute for Quantum Computing director RaymondLaflamme. The delegation proceeded into the building's atrium, where the official welcoming party of students, faculty and staff had gathered to greetthe king and queen.
The delegation proceeded to the second-floor board room, where the king and queenmet with guests including Dean of Engineering Pearl Sullivan, Region of ݮƵ Chair KenSeiling, and Mike andOpheliaLazaridis. The royal couple thenwitnessed the signing of a memorandum of agreement with the Region of ݮƵ, Canada’s Technology Triangle, and Dutch startup incubatorBrainportEindhoven, and a memorandum of understanding between Delft University of Technology and the University of ݮƵ.
"Now 70 years after the liberation of the Netherlands through which both countries have woven indelible, everlasting ties, these two agreements bind us further still," said Interim Associate Vice-President, International Jean-Jacques VanVlasselaar. "Be-it through fundamental research in the particularmindbogglingfield of quantum science, or through the knowledge transfers in highly focused regions likeEindhovenand ݮƵ of course, today we feed the continuous metamorphosis of our world — our future in the most human sense of the term."
The memorandum of understandingallows exchange opportunities for students, staff and researchers, collaboration on research projects and the exchange of research publications and reports in quantum information.Feridun Hamdullahpur andAnkaMulder, vice-president for education and operations at Delft, signed the memorandum in the presence of Their Majesties.
“These are two universities leading the world in innovation,” said Feridun Hamdullahpur. “This new agreement positions both ݮƵ and Delft to accelerate progress quantum information research while exposing our students and research to diverse experiences that will position them to lead the new world economy.”
The visit also marked the launch of the Liberation Scholarship Program. The historic scholarship celebrates the 70thanniversary of the liberation ofthe Netherlands by Canadian forces at the end of the Second World War.
The first five scholarship winners were present at the event, including Terran Shaver, whose grandfather, retired Colonel, a Galt native who participated in the liberation of Holland, appeared with her on stage to the applause of the crowd. Shaver noted that when he served overseas he was 24 years old, and that his granddaughter Terran will be celebrating her 24thbirthday while studying next year in the Netherlands.
Madeline Liddy, a masters student from IQC, was among the first five recipients awarded the scholarship.
The king and queen were photographed with the scholarship recipients.
Following the scholarship launch ceremony, the royal couple also toured a quantum optics laboratory in the Institute for Quantum Computing.ݮƵ’s IQC and Delft’sQuTechare among the top quantum research institutes in the world and both universities are committed to creating the worlds first100-qubitquantum computer.
At 12:35 p.m. the royal delegation's visit came to an end and they left the University through the Lazaridis Centre's atrium where the king and queen met more members of the public. The crowd cheered as the motorcade departed.
Check outfor more details and photos of the royal visit.
Photograph by Jonathan Bielaski.
A new season of global impacts for ݮƵ
by Feridun Hamdullahpur, President and Vice-Chancellor.As the Spring term heats up and our University turns its focus to June, we have much to celebrate. In particular, I want to dedicate my comments today on ݮƵ’s constantly growing and evolving role as a highly internationalized university, and one with a strong social mission.
ճDaily Bulletinhas provided extensive coverage of our royal visit this week. As you know, yesterday Their Majesties King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima of the Netherlandsvisited campuswith their royal delegation to make some exciting announcements and enrich an academic conference hosted at the Mike and Ophelia Lazaridis Quantum-Nano Centre.
Visit the University of ݮƵ’s Facebook page for an excellentthat captures the excitement of the event, and ourStories pagefor a timeline of Tweets, photos, and excerpts.
While the details of the event and the work of the delegation and academic conference has been extensively documented, I want to highlight two significant features of the visit.
The first is that ݮƵ’s new agreement with Delft University of Technology in Holland marks our further establishment as one of the world’s leaders in quantum research. As the Quantum Valley ascends and continues to take its place as one of the world’s most vaunted innovation ecosystems, the University of ݮƵ can be extremely proud of our role in anchoring that ecosystem. Not only in quantum, but across the range of our research areas and by generating such talented students and alumni.
Second, I want to underline how honoured I know we all feel at being the site of yesterday’s announcements. The special relationship between the Kingdom of the Netherlands and Canada is a matter of great significance to our country, and of immense personal meaning to countless Canadians who proudly claim Dutch descent. As I said in my comments to the royal delegation about the newprogram: the Dutch-Canadian bond, forged in war, continues to flourish in peace.
It was a very proud day for the University of ݮƵ.
I’m proud also that in May, our commitment to building a better and more equitable and knowledgeable world was displayed through several other initiatives as well.
On May 5, 2015ݮƵ unveiled our participationin the United Nations’ HeForShe campaign to promote gender equity. As the only Canadian organization among the campaign's participating governments, leading universities, and global businesses, we are honoured to have been selected to help lead this effort to help end discrimination against women and girls.
Gender equity is not a women’s issue. It is an everybody issue. That’s why the HeforShe campaign is designed to enlist men and boys in this important effort. Follow #HeforShe on Twitter and think about how you can do your part to help end gender discrimination. I look forward to our continued work together promoting positive social change through this program.
Finally, and in keeping with the theme of being an internationalized university with a strong social mission, this month we launched a program to help drive prosperity in a key regional economy while deepening our own academic prowess.
ճRisk Management, Economic Sustainability and Actuarial Science Development in Indonesia (READI) Projectis a relationship forged between the Government of Canada, the Indonesian Government and the University of ݮƵ. Its goal is to strengthen the Indonesian economy through advancing the actuarial profession in that country. It will accomplish this by providing risk management and actuarial expertise related to financial welfare, health care, banking and other issues that impact Indonesia and its international partners. At the same time, this partnership underlines the University of ݮƵ’s position as a national and international leader in the actuarial sciences. Read the press release to learn more about this exciting initiative.
I extend my thanks to our whole campus community for making this such a memorable and meaningful month for the University of ݮƵ.
As we continue on into the warmer weather and new term, I wish you the happiest of summers, and to all students: good luck on your upcoming midterms!
Sincerely,
Feridun
Friday's notes
"The winner of thephoto contestis Murielle Landry!" writes the UWSA's Melissa Zapletal. "Congratulations and bon appétit!"
Honourable mentions go to Angela Rooke and Emily Hudson for their great photos.
"Thank you to all those who participated in the contest. It was great to see the signs of Spring from all over campus," Zapletal writes. "You can browse through ourUWSA Springtime2015 Photo Contest album onFacebookto see all the great entries."
Electrical and Computer Engineering is hosting a Distinguished Lecturetoday featuring ProfessorYeo Kiat Seng, associate provost (graduatestudies and international relations) at Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD). Seng's talk is entitled "The Next Big Things in Education and Research."
"ճnew challenges posed by an increasingly integrated world require a rethinking of how we address our current education system and future research directions," says the talk's abstract. "As teaching andresearch are the yin and the yang of successful universities,it is important to understand the teaching-research connections."
The lecture takes place at 3:00 p.m. in DC 1302.
Link of the day
When and where
, Monday, May 25 to Friday, June 5.
University of ݮƵ Staff Association information session, Friday, May 29, 8:45 a.m. to 9:45 a.m., DC 1302.
Centre for Career Action presents Careers 601, Friday, May 29, 10:30 a.m.,TC2218.
Centre for Career Action presents Academic Interview,Friday, May 29, 2:30 p.m.,TC1208.
Electrical and Computer Engineering Distinguished Lecturefeaturing ProfessorYeoKiatSeng, Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD), "ճNext Big Thingsin Education and Research,"Friday, May 29, 3:00p.m., DC 1302.
Chinese Book and Photo Exhibition to Commemorate the70thAnniversary ofWWII,Saturday,May 30 to Tuesday, June 2, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Renison University College.
Bike Month Bike Challenge– Win cool prizes and conquer theleaderboard. Monday, June 1 to Tuesday, June 30, all campuses.
Centre for Career Action presents Non-Academic Work Search and Networking, Monday, June 1, 10:30 a.m.,TC1208.
Centre for Career Action presents Project Management as a Career Option, Monday, June 1, 2:30 p.m.,TC1208.
Centre for Career Action presents Interview Q&A, Tuesday, June 2, 10:30 a.m.,TC1208.
, "E-Cigarettesin Canada – A special supplement of Tobacco Use in Canada: Patterns and Trends, 2015 Edition," Tuesday, June 2, 1:00 p.m.
LIB 003 - Searching: Databases,Tuesday, June 2, 1:30 p.m., Library FLEX Lab.
Are YouLinkedIn? Learning the Basics, Tuesday, June 2, 1:30 p.m.,TC1208.
LIB 004 - Evaluating Information,Wednesday, June 3, 10:00 a.m., DC 1568.
, Wednesday, June 3, 7:30 p.m., Earth Science and Chemistry room316A.
Centre for Career Action presents Teaching Philosophy Statement,Wednesday, June 3, 10:30 a.m.,TC1208.
, Wednesday, June 3, 7:30 p.m., Environment 3 room 4412.
Centre for Career Action presents Successfully Negotiating Job Offers, Thursday, June 4, 10:30 a.m.,TC1208.Note: this session is primarily geared towards graduate students.
Test the Discover Graduate Studies site and earn a chance to win a $100!Contest closes June 5.
MitacsStep Workshop: Networking Skills, Friday, June 5, 9:00 a.m.,TC2218.
Keystone Picnic,Friday, June 5, 11:30 a.m., DC Library quad.
Matthews Golf Classic, Monday, June 8, Grand Valley Golf Course.
Centre for Career Action presents Writing Successful Grant Proposals, Monday, June 8, 1:30 p.m.,TC1208.
Spring 2015 Convocation, Tuesday, June 9 to Saturday, June 13.
The Library presents Tracking Other Researchers and Their Work, Tuesday, June 9, 10:00 a.m., Library FLEX Lab.
Centre for Career Action presentsCareer Interest Assessment (Strong Interest Inventory), Tuesday, June 9, 10:30 a.m,TC1214.
School of Planning 2015 Graduate Luncheon and Ceremony, Tuesday, June 9, 11:30 a.m., Fed Hall.
Centre for Career Action presentsCareer Exploration and Decision Making, Tuesday, June 9, 2:00 p.m.,TC1112.
Institute for Quantum Computing presents a public lectureby Dr. Krysta Svore, Microsoft Research, "Quantum Computing: Transforming the Digital Age," Tuesday, June 9, 7:00 p.m., QNC 0101..
, Tuesday, June 9, 7:30 p.m., QuantumNanoCentre room 1506.
Centre for Career Action presents WritingCVsand Cover Letters,Wednesday, June 10, 10:30 a.m.,TC1208.
University of ݮƵ Staff Association information session, Thursday, June 11, 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m., NH 3001.
Citing Properly with RefWorks,Wednesday, June 10, 1:00 p.m., DC 1568.
Centre for Career Action presents Business Etiquette and Professionalism, Wednesday, June 10, 1:30 p.m., TC 2218.
, Wednesday, June 10, 7:30 p.m., Environment 3 room 4412.
Quantum Programming & Circuits Workshop, Thursday, June 11, all day, QNC 0101.
Centre for Career Action presents Work Search Strategies, Thursday, June 11, 10:30 a.m., TC 1208.
Centre for Career Action presentsExploring Your Personality Type (Myers-Briggs Type Indicator) Part I, Thursday, June 11, 1:30 p.m., TC1214.
Biomedical Discussion Group Lecturefeaturing Dr. Boxin Zhao, “Zebra Mussel-inspired Electrically Conductive Polymer Nanofiber,” Thursday, June 11, 2:30 p.m., DC 1304.
Centre for Career Action presents Success on the Job, Friday, June 12, 10:30 a.m., TC 1208.
Cheriton School of Computer Science Distinguished Lecture Seriesfeaturing Margaret Martonosi, Princeton University, "Power-Aware computing, Heterogeneous parallelism, and the Post-ISAera," Friday, June 12, 4:30 p.m., DC 1302.
Centre for Career Action presentsThe Who Am I? Self Assessment Game, Tuesday, June 16, 10:30 a.m., TC2218.
, Tuesday, June 16, 2:30 p.m.to 4:00 p.m., TC 2218.
University of ݮƵ Staff Association information session, Tuesday, June 16, 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. inMC5501.
UWRC Book Club, Lisa Moore, "Caught," Wednesday, June 17, 12:00 p.m., LIB 407.
Wednesday, June 17, 2:30 p.m.to 3:30 p.m., TC 1208
, Wednesday, June 17, 7:30 p.m., Environment 3 room 4412.
UW Farm Market, Thursday, June 18, 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., ݮƵ Centre.
Bike Breakfast– Stop by on your bike for snacks, a free tune-up, and more!Thursday June 18, 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., Dana Porter Quad.
, Thursday, June 18, 2:00 p.m., Humanities Theatre.
, Tuesday, June 23, 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., Parking Lot C.
, Wednesday, June 24, 7:30 p.m., Environment 3 room 1408.
UW Farm Market, Thursday, June 25, 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., ݮƵ Centre.
Canada Day Celebration, Wednesday, July 1, Columbia Lake fields.
, Wednesday, July 8, 7:00 p.m., Quantum-Nano Centre room 0101.
, Thursday, July 9, 7:00 p.m., Quantum-Nano Centre room 0101.