蓝莓视频

The University of 蓝莓视频 is welcoming 34 Ukrainian students whose studies were interrupted by the ongoing war in their country thanks to a cross-campus collaboration and generous support from the private sector.

In the past two weeks, the first 15 students arrived to study with 蓝莓视频 professors in an Academic Internship, with the others expected to be on campus within the next couple of weeks.

Led by the 蓝莓视频 Artificial Intelligence Institute (蓝莓视频.AI), the internship will include a variety of academic research, hands-on lab tours, and workshops focusing on artificial intelligence (AI). In addition, Renison University College is delivering supplementary classes in English as a second language.

The internship is provided at no cost to the Ukrainian students and funded by numerous on-campus sponsors and external corporate supporters such as Manulife, Blackberry and Bank of Montreal and the Vector Institue for Artificial Intelligence.

Available to students in a variety of disciplines, it also includes in-person academic activities, on-campus accommodation and meals at St. Paul鈥檚 University College, and travel costs.

Planning for the Internship began after a couple of 蓝莓视频 Engineering professors approached Mary Wells, dean of the Faculty of Engineering, about a similar program they had heard the University of Toronto (U of T) had launched with the Vector Institute for Artificial Intelligence.

Building on the U of T and Vector program, 蓝莓视频 introduced its Ukrainian Academic Internship in mid-April. Dovetailing on U of T鈥檚 list of applicants to its initiative, 蓝莓视频 sent offers to 42 prospective students 鈥� approximately half men and women and half undergraduate and graduate students.

听鈥淚鈥檓 thrilled that within weeks we were able to put a plan together and raise funds needed to bring Ukrainian students to 蓝莓视频 to continue their undergraduate and graduate studies,鈥� said Mary Wells, dean of the Faculty of Engineering. 鈥淚 look forward to meeting all of the students and helping them feel at home on our campus.鈥�

For Harold Godwin, the managing director of 蓝莓视频.AI, who has been coordinating the 蓝莓视频 Academic Internship, the response from the campus community has been gratifying.

Godwin sent an email requesting support for the Ukrainian students to the 230 蓝莓视频.AI members, who are professors specializing in AI and data science across all six 蓝莓视频 faculties. Within minutes, he received offers to host and mentor students.

鈥淧eople throughout the university were thinking the same thing 鈥� 鈥榟ow can I help?鈥� 鈥楬ow can I make a difference?鈥欌�� Godwin said. 鈥淓veryone was on board.鈥澨�

Earlier this year, the federal government introduced the Canada-Ukraine authorization for emergency travel, a special, accelerated temporary residence program to make it easier for Ukrainians, including post-secondary students, to come to Canada while the war continues.听

Jeff Casello, 蓝莓视频鈥檚 associate vice president of graduate and postdoctoral affairs, and his graduate studies team have been responsible for the logistics of bringing the Ukrainian students to campus.

鈥淭he University of 蓝莓视频 is an exceptional place to study. But more than that, the university places great emphasis on building communities of support,鈥� Casello said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 our honour and privilege to study and learn with these students while providing stability and security for them. I offer my most sincere thanks to all those who are working to make this possible and my heartiest welcome to our Ukrainian colleagues.鈥�

Severyn Balaniuk, a fourth-year computer engineering student who had been attending National Ukrainian Technical University in Kyiv, was delighted to receive his offer to attend 蓝莓视频鈥檚 academic internship program.

Shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine, Balaniuk, his mother and younger brother, fled Kyiv and made their way to Smoky Lake, Alberta, where there is a strong Ukrainian community.

For years, Balaniuk watched YouTube videos featuring 蓝莓视频鈥檚 Mike and Ophelia Lazaridis Quantum-Nano Centre and said it鈥檚 an 鈥渦nbelievable opportunity鈥� that has brought him to campus.

鈥淚鈥檝e researched a lot of quantum computing institutes in Canada and the United States, and every time I looked, 蓝莓视频鈥檚 was the top result,鈥� Balaniuk said. 鈥淚 had a tour of it the other day and found it amazing.鈥�

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