![[University of Waterloo]](/goldbar.gif)
| Yesterday |
Wednesday, November 27, 2002
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Editor: Chris Redmond credmond@uwaterloo.ca |
![[Holding unframed prints]](/images/2002/1127artsale.gif)
Art for sale:
The annual sale of miniature art is a big fundraiser for the fine
arts department. Kelley Bruce, left, a fourth-year fine arts student,
is donating a photo resembling a sheep to the sale, which is being
coordinated by fine arts slide librarian Jean Stevenson. The preview of
mini art will be held today through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.,
and the actual sale starts Friday.
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A news release says Lazaridis, founder of the high-flying spinoff firm Research In Motion, "will formally announce a personal and major donation to the IQC" at a reception this afternoon.
It's scheduled for 3:00 in the Festival Room, South Campus Hall, following the opening ceremonies of the IQC at 2:00 in room 171 of Chemistry II.
The Institute for Quantum Computing was approved last spring. Says the news release: "The institute, which draws some of the best researchers and students in computing, engineering, mathematical and physical sciences, is funded through grants from the Canadian Foundation for Innovation, Canada Research Chairs, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, Ontario Research and Development Challenge Fund, Premier's Research Excellence Awards and Ontario Innovation Trust.
"The funding will allow the IQC to set up a theoretical and experimental program to study the implications of quantum mechanics for information processing. The research will encompass theoretical investigations of quantum algorithms to laboratory realization of quantum mechanical devices.
"The impact of quantum information extends from fundamental science (what are the fundamental limits to information processing?) to new technologies and even questions of national security (when will today's public key cryptography be broken?).
"The IQC seeks to advance knowledge in relevant areas of engineering, mathematics and science to enhance the developments in the field of quantum computation and information processing."
![[Under a giant Scotiabank sign]](/images/2002/1127tompa.gif)
Frank Tompa, director of the school of computer science, speaks at yesterday's opening celebrations. |
The labs are designed to support group work among students, enabling them to build software in teams -- an important aspect of UW's software engineering program. At an event on campus to launch the labs, students used the specialized equipment to demonstrate projects involving sophisticated robot programming.
Scotiabank contributed $1 million to build and equip the labs, part of a $2.5 million gift allowing UW to create a software engineering degree program, establish a student scholarship endowment and fund two faculty research chair positions in software engineering.
"This is a significant milestone in our partnership," said Peggy Mulligan, executive vice-president, systems and operations, Scotiabank. Both partners have a "strong mutual dedication to building a talent trust in this country," she said, adding that software engineering is an important factor in this effort. The software engineering degree program is offered jointly by UW's school of computer science and the department of electrical and computer engineering.
Sujeet Chaudhuri, dean of engineering, said this is "an initiative this country needs," adding that research programs are to follow. Frank Tompa, director of the school of computer science, said the labs are an "essential part" of software engineering and computer science studies and research.
Joanne Atlee, director of software engineering, said the labs allow for much-needed group study by students. She also thanked Scotiabank for its contribution that has provided "generous scholarships" for students.
Says Puddister: "In light of a number of significant recommendations made by Dr. Adel Sedra, who will soon be taking the reins as UW Dean of Engineering, it is clear that the priority assigned to graduate studies will be moving northward. . . . The feedback I have received has been very consistent. Most responses have had a belief that the report, in spirit, represents a significant and long-overdue challenge to the University."
![[Front page]](/images/2002/1127third-degree.gif)
A launch party for The Third Degree, which is available online and in print form in grad mailrooms across campus, will be held from 6:00 to 8:00 tonight at the Graduate House. Grad students interested in being involved in producing the newspaper are especially welcome. |
"Already faced with situations where students are required to share computing resources . . . and with other students forced to use fume hoods as desk space, the first question coming to mind is, where are we going to put all these new people? If we are serious about doubling of graduate enrolment, can we expect a similar increase in the number of faculty and staff? . . .
"The issue of quality seems underaddressed in the recommendations presented. Few students are aware of the signals coming from the Federal Government regarding postsecondary education. With lofty goals being set for increases in graduate enrolment across the nation, concerns surrounding quality are sure to increase. While increased competition for grad students is likely to work in favour of current students, what this will do to the quality of grad students at UW is uncertain. More egocentrically, what will this do to the longterm value of our degrees? Students were unanimous in their support for improving grad studies, but opening the floodgates to every willing (and sometimes unqualified) participant hardly seems the best approach."
He goes on to talk about funding for grads themselves, and Sedra's proposal that UW "guarantee" five years of funding for students in PhD programs: "Students in historically underfunded programs such as those in the Arts may have something to look forward to; although that could very well be nothing more than a decrease in the number of graduate student colleagues. A concern voiced by a number of students and faculty, and certainly echoed by my own belief, is that guaranteed funding without a guaranteed source will result in the shrinking of programs incapable of pulling in the big grants. UW has staked its reputation on innovation, and the unfortunate prevailing and unjustified theory all too often regards the humanities and social sciences as a cost, rather than a value-add."
He adds a warning that grads may see their fees go up sharply: "Given that the only means of quickly increasing revenues beyond government grants is through tuition fees, you can bet that any improvements will be financially borne by students, undergraduate and graduate alike, and by compromising the once-held value of accessibility. . . .
"Before subsidizing future growth with our current quality of life, we need to ensure that students have adequate housing, offices and lab space, that quality day-care services are available to students with families, that graduate students aren't living below the poverty line and that, more generally, our community is well taken care of."
The UW news bureau has issued a brief release about the talk given Tuesday by Charles Baillie, head of the TD Bank, in the annual "Visionary Seminar" in which UW took part. In his address, entitled "From Vision to Reality -- Our Country, Your Future", Baillie discussed the critical need for Canada to improve its standard of living. He cautioned his listeners to not be lulled into a false sense of security. "You need only look at our cities' crumbling sewers, overburdened transit systems and rising homelessness levels to see how thin the veneer of quality really is." He went on to say: "If we want to keep head offices in Canada, we need to have a better educated, more productive workforce than the alternative choices." He also stressed the need for more partnership between academia and business.
| UW Graphics holds its open house from 11:00 to 3:00 today at the main graphics facility. |
UW's Centre for Education in Mathematics and Computing holds its seventh annual Canadian Open Math Challenge today. It's "an extra-curricular mathematics activity" -- to be specific, a 150-minute math test with a total of a dozen problems. The top students in the test could be on their way to the Canadian Mathematics Olympiad, but "several of the problems are designed specifically to be within the reach of any student with a good knowledge of Grade 10 mathematics," the CEMC web site stresses. It's the first of a series of math tests for high school students that UW will sponsor this year.
As the Muslim month of Ramadan continues, there's a special meal tonight -- "iftar", the fast-breaking after the sun goes down. The event is hosted by the Pakistani Students Association in cooperation with several other groups: the Arab Students Association, the Iranian Students Association, the Bangladeshi Students Association, the South Asian Students Association and the Association of Caribbean Students. The meal starts at 5:00 at Federation Hall, and all are welcome; tickets are $5, today at the Student Life Centre or tonight at Fed Hall. Some Muslims will come to the event straight from evening prayers, being held from 5:00 to 5:15 in the great hall of Village I.
I don't know whether it's just coincidence, but today's noon-hour concert at Conrad Grebel University College features music from the largest Muslim country in the world, Indonesia. It's a concert of gamelan and wayang music, 'with the Gamelan Gong Sabrang", it starts at 12:30 in the Grebel chapel, and admission is free.
A professional development seminar on "Writing CVs and Cover Letters", aimed at graduate students, is scheduled for 12 noon in Math and Computer room 5158. . . . The Mathematics Society, which embraces all undergraduate math students, will hold a general meeting at 5:30 today in Math and Computer room 2038. . . . The basketball Warriors host Wilfrid Laurier University tonight in the Physical Activities Complex, with the women's teams playing at 6:00 and the men at 8:00. . . .
A presentation of work by students in the "Greening the Campus" course, Environment and Resource Studies 250, is scheduled for tomorrow morning in Arts Lecture Hall room 116. . . . The staff association's 9th annual craft sale runs Thursday and Friday in the Davis Centre lounge. . . .
CAR
TODAY IN UW HISTORYNovember 27, 1969: The Federation of Students sponsors a teach-in at the Campus Centre about the war in Biafra (Nigeria). November 27, 1997: A party celebrates the success of Campaign Waterloo, which has raised $86 million. |